


My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic - The Falling Skies

by Algoroth



Series: Planar Realms [1]
Category: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Genre: Action/Adventure, Crossover with a book I haven't finished writing, Dimension Travel, Gen, Teen because I'm not sure where I'm gonna take this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-04
Updated: 2014-05-29
Packaged: 2017-12-28 08:08:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 26,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/989732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Algoroth/pseuds/Algoroth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A mysterious alicorn crash lands on the outskirts of Ponyville. Celestia seems to recognize something about the circumstances. Twilight must befriend with one of the most difficult ponies she's ever met, in order to preserve Harmony. But can a foreign soldier be trusted to help protect Equestria from the most insidious foes it has ever faced? Do they even have a choice?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Skyfall

The sun shone brightly on the kingdom of Equestria. A light breeze rustled the leaves, playing gently across the faces of anyone who stopped to enjoy it. Twilight relaxed on a picnic blanket under a lone tree, her new wings folded at her sides. She had given Spike the day off, and he had decided to go watch the Crusaders try out whatever crazy plan they had lined up for the day. The sun’s bright rays checkered her coat under the leaves of the trees. A stopwatch hovered by her head, enveloped with the purple aura of her magic, ticking modestly to itself. Overhead, rainbow streaks dashed across the sky, scattering the few remaining clouds. When the last cloud had been pulverized, Rainbow Dash swooped down and landed expertly next to Twilight.

“Wow, Rainbow Dash. Eight point two seconds, that’s a new record!”

“Heh, yeah. I’m just awesome like that,” Rainbow Dash flexed her wings and puffed out her chest, grinning proudly.

“At this rate, you might be able to cut it down to seven seconds. Maybe even six.”

The clatter of wagon wheels on cobblestone drifted over the hill. Twilight and Rainbow turned to watch for the traveler. Soon, Applejack appeared, carting her apples to the market. She pulled up to the pair sitting on the top of the hill and unhitched the wagon to sit down next to them. She took the opportunity to remove a rag hanging off of the shaft and wipe away the sweat on her brow.

“Howdy, y’all. What’s goin’ on?”

“Rainbow Dash just beat her old record for weather control.”

“Yep, nothing to it,” Rainbow boasted, flexing her wings.

Applejack looked up quizzically. “Uh, I hate to burst your bubble, sugarcube, but you missed one.”

They followed Applejack’s gaze up to the center of the sky. A swirling mass of gray clouds was converging in the sky, lightning arcing across the borders. The clouds darkened to pitch black near the center, occasionally flicking with pale light. The newly formed giant cloud began to emit a low, quiet rumbling as it rotated in place.

“Um, that wasn’t there a moment ago,” Rainbow Dash said, worry growing in her voice.

“I’ve never seen a cloud formation like that before," Twilight pondered. "Rainbow, do you know if the weather ponies planned anything like this?”

“No. It was supposed to be clear today,” Rainbow scratched her head with her hoof.

“’Sides, I ain’t sure that’s a normal thundercloud,” Applejack interjected.

The cloud rumbled loudly, and continued rumbling for quite some time.

“I don’t know. It at least sounds normal.”

Thunder boomed through the air, though no flash of lightning preceded it. A few moments later, lightning snaked sluggishly out of the cloud in all directions, spreading out to cover the sky and fill the air. A bolt finally connected with the ground, but instead of instantly charring the spot, all of the lightning began to converge. Finally, when the last arc connected to that spot, the bolt spread out and began burning a pattern into the ground.

“I take it back,” Twilight whimpered, “That’s definitely not normal.”

“Well, normal or not, cloudbusting’s my job! And I’m gonna bust that cloud before it causes any more trouble.” Rainbow flexed her wings and took off for the cloud.

“Rainbow Dash, wait!” But she was already out of earshot. All Twilight could do was watch, helpless to stop her. Just then, Pinkie Pie came galloping over the hills from Ponyville sporadically twitching and shuddering. Fluttershy and Rarity were hot on her tail, worry plastered on their faces.

“Twilight, Twilight! My Pinkie-sense is going crazy! Something majorly extremawesomazing is about to happen!” Pinkie smushed Twilight’s cheeks between her hooves and shouted. “Or maybe something disastrous. I’m not really sure.”

Fluttershy ran up beside Pinkie, panting and heaving. “Oh, Twilight! It’s just awful. All the woodland creatures are going crazy and I can’t seem to calm them down!” Fluttershy whimpered, on the verge of tears. Rarity stepped in to speak.

“It’s true, Twilight. I was helping Fluttershy with a bit of interior decorating when all of her animals went absolutely berserk,” Rarity gesticulated dramatically. “I was lucky I wasn’t wearing my redecorating outfit or it would have surely been ruined.”

Twilight stretched her wings nervously. “When did this odd behavior start?”

“Only a few minutes ago, but they managed to make a complete mess of her living room. Goodness only knows what will happen if we let this go on for much longer.”

Twilight peered up at the massive storm cloud. “That’s about when this strange cloud appeared.”

The bolts of lightning finished tracing the strange rune and retracted like lengths of measuring tape. Rainbow Dash slowed down to avoid being grazed by the flailing lightning. The storm cloud seemed to calm itself after the lightning had been absorbed. But the calm didn’t last long. The winds began picking up and soon they raged with hurricane force. They seemed to originate from the rogue cloud, which had begun roiling and undulating like a bubble of boiling water. The harder Rainbow Dash flapped her wings, the more the winds pushed her back. She struggled and pushed until she was almost close enough to touch it. But then, a blast of air sent her careening into the ground a few feet away from her friends. They rushed over, calling out to her.

“Rainbow, are you okay?”

She picked herself up unsteadily. “I’m fine. But I couldn’t get close enough to even touch that thing, let alone bust it up. ”

“What’re we gonna do, Twilight?” Applejack fretted.

“I’m not sure. I’ve never read about anything like this. But, I suppose I have to try something.”

Twilight stood purposefully and strode out into the clear. She stared at the cloud, and her horn lit up with pink fire. Her friends waited with bated breath. Ambient energy began gathering around her, stoking the magical flames. The others began cheering her on. There was no problem Twilight’s magic couldn’t fix. Soon, her horn was cloaked in an inferno of magical energy.

“Alright girls, be ready. I’m not sure what will happen.”

Her friends shared concerned looks and braced themselves. If Twilight said something was serious, they’d better act like it. Twilight took a moment to make sure her friends were alright, and then she returned her attention to the churning cloud. She took a wider stance to solidify her footing and closed her eyes to concentrate on the magic. This was going to be tricky. She had never tried magic this complex before. The spell she was basing this one on was meant to quell hurricanes and thunderstorms. She’d never had a chance to use try it and now she was attempting to make it even more powerful. But she couldn’t back down. They had already seen the mischief this strange cloud caused. Who knew what might happen if it reached Ponyville.

She began condensing the magical energy she’d gathered in her horn. She’d need every last drop. Soon she was a dark shadow against a brilliant crimson sun. It hurt her friends’ eyes to even look at her, so they averted their eyes. Applejack took a chance to check the thundercloud. It sat in the sky, rumbling, almost smugly. It even began to pulse and throb, seemingly eager for the spell being conjured by Twilight. Her gut told her something was wrong.

“Uh, Twilight?”

Twilight’s horn began pulsing and thrumming in time with the cloud. It shifted towards them, as if reaching out to catch a loved one leaping into its arms.

“Twilight, you might want to-”

The magic’s thrumming rose in pitch and a beam erupted towards the cloud.

“Twilight, no!”

The cloud strained towards the beam just before it hit. The beam impacted with the cloud like a baseball and a feather pillow. Lightning circled around the beam, drawing it in. The cloud was absorbing the spell. A second or two later the beam was gone, and the cloud was unaffected. The six friends sighed, some in disappointment, others in relief that the spell hadn’t gone terribly awry. Twilight collapsed, exhausted. That spell took everything she had and then some. She wasn’t sure anything could be done to stop this monstrous cloud.

“Twilight, are you alright?” Applejack worried while she and Fluttershy helped her up. Rarity conjured up her fainting couch, and they all guided her onto it.

“I’m fine girls, really. That spell just took a lot out of me. But I don’t know what to do now. That was one of the most powerful spells I could think of.”

“It’s alright, darling,” Rarity tried to comfort her, “I’m sure we’ll think of something.”

The cloud rumbled loudly and began swirling around.

“I don’t think we have time.”

The cloud spun faster and faster, until it became a vortex of dark mist and crackling electricity. They could see into the mouth of the vortex and it seemed to extend far out into space. Starlight twinkled against a deep blackness and a brilliant violet nebula, disconcertingly still against the twirling gray. When viewed from outside, however, it couldn’t have been longer than fifty feet. Suddenly, one of the twinkling lights in the eye of the vortex began growing brighter, and it became clear that the light was coming closer. Soon it shined almost as bright as the sun. It looked as if the light was about to exit the vortex.

The mouth of the vortex exploded. Fireballs flew in every direction. The funnel twisted and jerked, starting to spin itself apart. It flung out bolts of violet lightning, scything haphazardly across the landscape. No sooner had Twilight thrown up a shield spell around them, than an arc of violet energy raked across it. Though the assault lasted only moments, sustaining the shield drained her as if she had been helping Applejack buck apples for two days straight.

The lightning cracked through the air, seeking out the fireballs and vaporizing all but two. One flew out over the Everfree Forest. The other streaked down towards them.

"Twilight, we gotta move!" Rainbow Dash shouted at her, but Twilight was oblivious. Everything she had left was focused on keeping the shield up. Applejack dove under her and lifted her up so she was draped across her back.

"Run!" The fireball slammed into the ground with meteoric force. The girls barely had time to leap out of the way before the object plowed through the earth past them, flinging them aside as the earth under their feet was shoved out of the way. The destruction came to an explosive halt as the would-be meteor collided with the tree, sundering the air with the snapping of roots and the cracking of a toppled trunk.

The chaos died down. Only the howling of the vortex broke the silence as it tore itself apart. After one last painful screech, the mysterious cloud flung itself to pieces, evaporating into wisps of gray fog before disappearing completely. The land was silent. Not a single bird dared to raise its voice. Somewhere in the distance, a tree that had been cleaved by lightning fell. Slowly, shakily, the girls got to their hooves.

"Is everyone okay?" Applejack asked, her voice wobbling with worry.

“Uh-huh.” Pinkie and Fluttershy voiced, still sore and in shock. Rainbow Dash rolled out of a pile of dirt and shook herself off.

“Only thing I hurt is my pride.”

“Oh no!” Everyone whipped around to see what was wrong with Rarity, but all they saw was Rarity, coat dirty and lip quivering.

“It will take hours to get this much dirt out of my coat. Probably even longer for my mane.” The others sighed.

“Twilight, what in the hay was that?” Applejack asked, but no answer came. “Twilight?”

They looked over to Twilight. She wasn’t moving.

“Twilight!”

The girls all rushed over to her. She stirred, and began groggily pushing herself off of the ground. Fluttershy and Rarity were closest, and so were the first to help her to her hooves.

“Sorry, girls. I couldn’t protect you from the brunt of the impact. That energy bolt almost drained all of the magic I had left.”

“Hush dear,” Rarity fussed over her, “we are not the ones you should be worrying about.”

“Yeah! You’re the one that’s acting all loopy,” Pinkie agreed, eyes rolling like billiard balls in comical demonstration. “You need to take it easy and get your strength back.” The rest nodded in agreement.

“Thanks, you guys. But I’ll be fine. Right now I need to figure out just what that huge fireball was.” Twilight shrugged out of their embrace. She took a couple of shaky steps and promptly lost her balance.

“Whoa, slow down there, Turbo!” Rainbow Dash swooped in and caught her as she fell. “If it’s really that important, let us help you.”

“Ain’t no way we’re lettin’ you go near that thing on your lonesome anyhow.”

Twilight gave them a weary smile.

“Alright. But let’s hurry. I need to make sure it’s not dangerous.”

Leaning on Rainbow Dash and guided by her friends, Twilight made her way slowly up to the lip of the crater. The smoking remains of whatever fell from the sky smoldered at the bottom. It was difficult to make out what it could be. The smoke got in her eyes and lungs, blurring her vision and making it hard to breathe. She squinted against the smoky veil, head spinning. The haze began to clear and the meteorite began to take shape. But she couldn’t accept what she was seeing. She rubbed her eyes and squinted harder. There it was again. Four legs, a long neck and snout, a mane and tail, wings, and a horn. All signs were pointing to it being an alicorn. The darkness began closing in on her vision. She tried to shake it off, but it was too persistent. The voices of her friends became distant. Finally, the darkness overwhelmed her and she succumbed to exhaustion. 

 

* * *

 

Twilight awoke to the feeling of a damp cloth stroking her forehead. Her body ached and she had difficulty breathing. She peeled one eye open, her head throbbing. The bright light of the sun only compounded the problem. The familiar voice of Nurse Redheart murmured softly to her.

“Take it easy, miss. You passed out from over-exertion. Here, drink this.”

The nozzle of a sports bottle was pressed to her lips, and she took a cautious sip. The taste of cool water instantly began to dull the edge of her aching head. She gulped down at least half of the bottle before Nurse Redheart took it away.

“Easy. You need to take it slow. Now, can you stand?”

“I think so.” She rolled onto her hooves and slowly pushed herself up into a sitting position. She felt the same as she had lying down, so she tried standing. Blood rushed to her head and she lost her balance for a moment, but it quickly subsided. Apart for being tired and sore, she felt fine.

“I think I’m alright.”

“Good. Don’t wander off, though. I need to keep an eye on you.”

“Alright, I’m just going to check on my friends.” Twilight took the water bottle and shuffled over to the group of ponies milling about. Her friends went were strewn about, their minor cuts and bruises being tended to by a gaggle of physicians and nurses. A group of passersby hovered around the crater, peering in and muttering amongst themselves. Another cluster of ponies in lab coats swarmed around the point of impact, taking notes and pictures with equal fervor. Fluttershy broke away from the nurse dabbing her cuts with an alcohol soaked cotton swab to run over to Twilight, much to the nurse’s chagrin.

“Oh! Twilight! Are you feeling alright?” She avoided the probing swab, not wanting to take her gaze away from Twilight in case her condition changed the moment she turned away.

“I’m fine, really. Are you doing okay?”

“I’m… fine. Just a bit startled. I think that could have turned out a lot worse than it did.”

“You’re right. It was almost as if those lightning bolts were seeking the fireballs on purpose.”

“I think that’s a distinct possibility,” Rarity commented as she joined them. “That mysterious cloud was undoubtedly magical, and magic never happens without a reason.”

“All the more reason I need to figure out what…” She finally remembered what she saw at the bottom of the crater, and her heart dropped into her stomach. She dashed off just as the others joined them, apprehension growing with each passing moment. Her friends exchanged a worried glance before galloping after her.

Twilight forced her way through the throng of observers. She charged over the edge of the crater, leaping down into the center without slowing. It was as she feared. There, in the center, lay an unconscious alicorn. But this was no ordinary alicorn. The alicorn that lay before her was… male.

The alicorn stallion breathed lightly, thankfully deeply unconscious. His snow-white coat was marred with charred hair and burns. Hooves as black as coal peeked out from behind unkempt fetlocks. His mane and tail were a short, ruffled, and sandy-blonde. He had at least a six-foot wingspan, and a horn a couple inches short of a foot. Around his neck hung an amulet that would have been beautiful if it weren't blackened with soot. Compelled, she rubbed it slightly, clearing away some of the char. It was a small golden shield engraved with mystical runes, framing a midnight blue gemstone with countless facets. At first, the gem seemed opaque. But the longer she stared at it, the more it seemed like a piece of a clear night sky had been captured inside. Hundreds of tiny stars flared to life. The brilliant sunset hues of massive nebulae crept in from the corners, blinding twin suns blossomed in the darkness, and soon miniature worlds twirled into view.

“Twilight! What’s wrong?”

She shook herself out of her reverie. Her earthbound friends were sliding down the sides of the crater, followed in the air by the other two. She turned back to glance at the gem again, but no trace of the imprisoned stellar bodies remained. She gulped.

“Twilight, why in Equestria did you charge off like tha-“ The words caught in Rarity’s throat. “Twilight… Is that…?”

“I’m afraid so.”

“An alicorn stallion?” Applejack stared. “Twilight, what… what in the hay is goin’ on here?”

“I… I don’t know.”

“Um… Twilight?” Fluttershy squeaked.

“I’m not sure where he could have come from.”

“Um… Excuse me?”

“But I know his sudden appearance can’t be a good thing.”

“Twilight, I think-”

Rarity stepped in. “What do you mean, Twilight? Why is this so disastrous? It is certainly rare, I’ll admit, but…”

“Twilight, you might want to-”

“You don’t understand. It’s true there hasn’t been a male alicorn in over three thousand years, but it’s been that way for a reason.”

“This might be important-”

“Why?” Rainbow Dash descended to her side. “Are they dangerous or something?”

“Well-”

“He doesn’t have a cutie mark!” Fluttershy shouted, finally fed up with being ignored.

“Wh-huh?!” The girls exclaimed, equal parts shocked and confused. Twilight looked again. Sure enough, his flank was as bare as the freshly driven snow. She had been so fixated on his amulet that she had completely overlooked his lack of a cutie mark. She was even more confused and concerned now. He had been enough of an enigma before Fluttershy had pointed this out. But without a cutie mark, there was no way of even guessing at his nature or purpose.

“I need to get a letter to Princess Celestia right away. Rainbow Dash, can you go find Spike?”

“No problem!” Rainbow saluted.

“Oh, oh! He’s with the Crusaders over at Sugar Cube Corner,” Pinkie volunteered, “I think they were trying to get cutie marks in frosting cakes.”

“I’m on it!” Rainbow dashed off, leaving rainbow streaks behind her.

“I need the rest of you to help me get him to the library. There are some spellbooks there that I need to reference.”

The girls fanned out to enlist the help of the nurses and doctors, while Twilight went to check out the spot the scientists were analyzing. It was the rune circle that had been traced by the magical cloud, but half of it had been plowed through when the alicorn had fallen to earth. She studied it thoroughly, but no matter what angle she examined it from, she couldn’t recognize the any of the strange runes or arcane patterns. It was like no magic she’d ever seen. But she couldn’t worry about it now. The circle was broken anyway. Whatever innate magic it had possessed would have been released when the alicorn had plowed through it. She went to meet Spike when Rainbow Dash returned, anxious to get word to the Princess of this distressing turn of events.


	2. Concern

Twilight paced around the chalk circle she had drawn on the floor of her bedroom library. It was lined with the magical runes necessary for a powerful containment spell. She studied the markings carefully, triple checking that there was no break in the line, no rune out of place. If half the legends she’d read were true – and there were fewer even than the legends about the Crystal Empire – this stallion could be more dangerous than King Sombra and Queen Chrysalis combined. The guest bed she placed in the center of the circle had been stripped of everything but the mattress. While she didn’t want to give him anything that could possibly be used as a weapon, neither could she deny an injured pony his basic rights.

Downstairs, the commotion that she had been trying so hard to ignore suddenly intensified. That likely meant that Celestia had arrived on her pegasus-drawn chariot. She sighed and made her way downstairs. Word of the alicorn stallion had spread quickly, and now most of Ponyville had turned out to get a glimpse of the phenomenon. When she descended to the ground floor, things were just as she had imagined them. Applejack and Rarity were holding the doors closed. Spike had his claws full just trying to keep the windows from being buffeted open. Pinkie was assisting Nurse Redheart with her medical examination of the alicorn, while Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash watched over him, to act as mediator and muscle if he woke up before they could get him to the containment spell. Everyone looked haggard and nervous.

Twilight walked over to Spike, who was throwing himself against a bookshelf, inching it in front of a nearby window. “Hold on Spike, I want to check outside. I think the Princess just arrived.”

Spike stepped aside hesitantly. Twilight levitated the bookshelf aside and gingerly opened the curtains a fraction. Peering outside, she caught a glimpse of her mentor’s regal white wings above a sea of curious ponies. Moments later, one of the crowd noticed the open curtain and the window was instantly filled with prying eyes. Twilight quickly shut the curtains and replaced the bookshelf.

“Alright, girls, we’re almost ready. Princess Celestia just arrived. Nurse Redheart, I need to move this stallion upstairs. Applejack, can you help her with that?”

“Sure thing, Twilight.” She and Nurse Redheart carefully shifted him onto the stretcher and began to make their way upstairs. There was an authoritative knock at the front door. Twilight galloped over and opened the top of the Dutch door a crack. Sure enough, Princess Celestia waited outside, flanked by her royal guard. Twilight sighed in relief and opened the door the rest of the way.

“Princess, thank goodness you’re here.”

“Of course, we came as quickly as we could,” she replied, her tone more serious than Twilight had ever heard. Twilight was confused.

“Um, we?”

The Princess strode purposefully into the library, followed closely by a considerably meeker Princess Luna.

“Princess Luna! I’m glad you’re here.”

“Yes. It is good to see you again, Twilight Sparkle. I wish it were under better circumstances.” The worry in her voice was obvious. Twilight’s stomach twisted. Were things worse than she thought? She turned to shut the doors, but at that moment two other ponies trotted in.

“Cadance! Big brother! You’re here, too? But, I thought you were in the Crystal Empire.”

They both embraced her as her sister-in-law spoke. “We were, but Princess Celestia contacted us, saying she had a crisis on her hooves. We came through the emergency portal she set up after you helped us defeat King Sombra.”

Twilight slumped onto her hindquarters. “Wow, I thought this might be a bad situation, but I didn’t know it was this bad.”

“The situation is dire indeed,” Princess Celestia said from behind her. The Princess closed the door with her magic and left two of her guards stationed outside. “Where is the alicorn, Twilight?”

Celestia's gaze was sharp and unyielding. Suddenly, it dawned in Twilight. Celestia was furious. In all her years, she had never seen her mentor this angry. Not even when she confronted Queen Chrysalis. Twilight shrunk away from the looming alicorn. Her friends watched with growing concern.

“I had him carried upstairs into the protective circle. I made it precisely as you instructed.”

Celestia must have realized she was frightening her student, because she immediately deflated. She allowed a troubled smile to slip through her solemn demeanor.

“Thank you, Twilight. You’ve done well. I’m sorry for being short with you, I’m just worried about what will happen tonight.” She turned towards the staircase. “Come with me, all of you. I will explain everything, but first we must deal with the problem at hoof.”

They all followed her up to the second floor. The tension among them was thick. They exchanged nervous glances. None of the girls understood how someone as powerful as Celestia could be worried, and that frightened them. Fluttershy shook visibly, so Rarity placed a foreleg around her shoulders, trying to comfort her. Even Spike was sticking unusually close to Twilight. Perhaps he, too, was afraid of how the Princess might react to the alicorn stallion when they arrived, but there was nothing she could do. Celestia had clearly encountered something like this before and, as such, was the only authority she could rely on in this situation. All she could do was follow her mentor’s instruction.

But when she finally crossed the threshold Princess Celestia immediately came to a halt. Although she had explained the details of his appearance in her letter, Twilight couldn't help but notice the deep concern concealed in her mentor’s eyes, despite maintaining a flat expression. Celestia turned to the group.

“Girls, I’m afraid I must speak to my sister in private. Luna?” Concern creased Luna’s brow as she trotted after the elder Princess. Twilight wanted to follow, but she knew she needed to respect Celestia’s wish for privacy. Even so, she listened hard, trying to catch any clue as to what might be happening. The only phrase she could make out, however, was a title; “the World Dragon.” Small bells in her subconscious began ringing, but try as she might, she just couldn’t remember where she’d heard the phrase before.

"What do you think they're talking about?" Spike's question jolted her out of her eavesdropping.

"I think it has something to do with why this alicorn suddenly appeared."

"What makes you say that?"

"I'm not sure, but something I overheard reminds me of something I read somewhere. I just can't seem to remember."

“Twilight, Cadance, come with me.” It was Celestia who startled Twilight this time. She and Cadance got up and followed the other Princesses over to the circle. Celestia looked over it once and let slip the first true smile since she had arrived.

“Very well done, Twilight. It’s exactly as I asked you to make it.”

Twilight smiled sheepishly. “It’s nothing. I just followed your instructions.”

“That may be, but this is quite a complicated spell. Not many can draw a containment circle so accurately.”

“Thank you, Princess. What’s next?”

The Princess didn't respond. She was staring at the stallion's pendant.

"Um, Princess Celestia?"

Celestia jerked herself away from the pendant's lure.

"I'm sorry. This pendant is... I... I'm not sure. Twilight, do know anything about it?"

"No, Princess. I'm sure it's magical, but I'm not sure about the nature of the magic."

Celestia hummed thoughtfully. Finally, she turned back to the side of the bed. Her horn lit up, and the glow of her magic enveloped the pendant. She slowly lifted it over his head. It came off without a hitch.

"I think I should hold on to this for now."

She motioned to one of her guards and he brought forth a case on his back. The lock glowed with Celestia’s magic, and the lid popped open. Celestia laid the pendant gently inside. The only other object in the case was a long, flat golden brace about the width of a unicorn’s horn with silver bands on each end. Curious, Twilight examined it closer. The simple conical tube was unadorned by any decoration, or even any indication of its true purpose. She turned back to question the Princess, but suddenly it seemed as though something was crawling along its surface. When she looked at it again, however, nothing had changed.

“Princess, what is that?” Twilight asked frequently glancing at the brace to try and catch it doing something strange. The Princess nodded expectantly.

“This is a magic inhibitor. It’s meant to contain the innate magic of unicorns, when their magic would pose a danger to themselves or others. If I put it on his horn, the inhibitor should be able to suppress the majority of his magic, although I can’t guarantee it will be negated completely.”

“But why does seem so strange when I see out of the corner of my eye?”

“A very astute question, Twilight. When you look at it you see nothing out of the ordinary, correct?” Twilight nodded. “But that is extraordinary. Normally, a magical item will have at least one rune inscribed upon it somewhere. But the magic inhibitor uses a special kind of rune not used in other kinds of magic. Runes are supposed to channel the magic infused into them through the item they are inscribed upon. But what if you want to take away magic?”

Puzzled, Twilight considered what she already knew about magical runes. “You can’t use an enchanted rune, because it will already have magic in it.”

“Precisely. The runes that were inscribed upon this brace are a set of special runes that were discovered by none other than Star Swirl the Bearded. No one knows how he discovered them, but it’s quite apparent that they work. Rather than containing magic to be channeled into an object, the runes channel magic away from the object and its wearer and then dissipate the magic harmlessly into the air. It is a very unique spell that requires a very unique set of runes; runes which don’t behave by the normal rules of magic.” The Princess sighed in frustration.  “However, this is really just a long-winded way to say even I don’t know.”

“Really?” Twilight gasped.

“Indeed. Star Swirl disappeared shortly after making this device and nopony could find any notes pertaining to the spell he used to create it. I only found out what it does by accident while searching the archives for clues as to his whereabouts. I tried to levitate it to get a closer look, to see if it could tell me anything about what he was researching before he disappeared, and my magic was dispelled.” She turned towards Luna. “The only reason I know its purpose for certain is because a few of our guard volunteered to test it on themselves so that Luna and I wouldn't need to do it ourselves. Thankfully, the effects weren't permanent.”

Nurse Redheart looked up from her clipboard as Celestia approached. “Your Highness, I’ve finished my examination and it was, quite frankly, astonishing. From the details of Princess Twilight’s report, I thought he must have fallen for at least a hundred yards. I would have expected him to have sustained several serious injuries, even if he had been able to stabilize his descent. Yet, the only thing wrong with him appears to be a couple of cracked ribs, apart from some superficial cuts and bruises. Even the burns he suffered were no more than cosmetic, though he was reported to have been engulfed in flame. I’d say he has some pretty powerful magic if he can prevent that much damage.”

Celestia frowned. “Thank you, Nurse Redheart. I’d appreciate it if you waited downstairs. We may still have need of your services.” The nurse bowed to her Princess and left the room. Celestia glanced at the guard carrying the inhibitor’s case and he immediately responded to the summons. Celestia levitated the inhibitor out of the case by the bands on each end, lest her magic be drained by contact with the mysterious runes. Gently, she slid the device onto the unconscious alicorn’s horn and the silver bands contracted, securing the inhibitor. Celestia sighed in relief.

“There. The inhibitor can only be removed by the one that activated it. However, even though the bulk of the danger that this pony poses has been dealt with, he is still a major threat and must be dealt with accordingly.” The girls watched with bated breath as the four Princesses took their places around the circle.

“Twilight, Cadance, we are going to be casting a containment sphere around him. Its circumference needs to equal that of the inner edge of the magic circle. Now, as soon as the sphere is completed, the runes will need more power in order to function and will begin to draw it from our magic. The drain may come as a shock at first, but we need to bear with it. This spell may require you to expend all of your energy to complete. But don’t worry; I assure you that no harm will come to you. Now, are you all ready?” The Princesses all nodded their assent.

“Very well, we will begin on the count of three. One… two… three.”

Four beams of light flared simultaneously from the horns of the Princesses. The colors swirled together until they became a brilliant white, and spread around an invisible sphere. The spell took only moments to finish, but as soon as the last hole on the sphere had been sealed, the runes around the circle began to glow and the light of the containment sphere began draining into them. All of the beams of magic intensified as the Princesses poured more of their energy into the spell. The air stirred with force of the energy expenditure. Sweat beaded on their foreheads and they struggled visibly to keep the spell going. The orb grew brighter with each passing second, until it seemed as though the entire library would be consumed in its light.

Without warning, the light vanished and the girls were left blinking against the sudden dark. Slowly, their eyes adjusted and they saw that the library hadn’t changed except for a large, clear sphere that encompassed the bed and its occupant. Then, they noticed that Twilight and Cadance had collapsed, and fear closed its icy grip around their hearts. They ran over, shouting. Shining Armor was the first to reach Cadance. Spike and the girls all crowded around Twilight, everyone shouting at once.

"Twilight!"

“Twilight, sugar, are you okay-?”

“Are you hurt, darling-?”

“Oh no, Twilight-!

“Oh dear! Oh my goodness-!”

“Twilight, say something!”

Twilight didn’t respond. Rainbow Dash shook her frantically, but her eyes remained closed. She was about to slapping her awake, when she felt a hoof rest gently on her shoulder. She looked up, tears threatening to break through the dam. Celestia smiled wearily down at her.

“She’s fine, my dear. She likely passed out from over-exertion. Her magic has been quite taxed today. Bring her to Nurse Redheart downstairs. Luna and I shall join you shortly.”

The two Princesses waited until the room was empty. They glanced at each other and then to the strange stallion inside the containment spell. Princess Luna was the first to speak.

“Sister, do you really believe he could be involved with the World Dragon?”

“I do. The method he used to travel here seems to be identical to the way the Dragon arrived all those millennia ago, and he has magical equipment we know nothing about. We must assume that the two events are related.”

“But what should we do? I fear Equestria will be unable to withstand another attack of that magnitude.”

“We’ll just have to find a way to prevent him from returning, and this stallion is going to give us the answers we seek.”

“I am afraid it may not be so simple. We may need to use alternative methods of… persuasion-“

“No,” Celestia stated firmly, but then immediately softened. “The situation may be dire, but we mustn’t let fear get the better of us. The last time that happened I lost you for a thousand years. I don’t want anything like that to happen again.”

Luna flushed in embarrassment. “You are right. I am sorry, sister. I was letting my fears get the best of me.”

“Thank you, Luna.” The Princess nuzzled her sister affectionately. “Don’t worry, we’ll find a way to protect our subjects. Who knows? Perhaps he may be open to negotiation.”

“I sincerely hope so.”

“Come; let’s go check on the girls. I think we owe them an explanation.”

The Princesses filed out of the upper library, secure in the knowledge that it would be a while before the mysterious alicorn would regain consciousness. Downstairs, Twilight had regained consciousness and was once again lying on Rarity’s conjured lounge chair. Nurse Redheart tended to the exhausted pony as Spike watched over her shoulder, once again wringing his claws. Celestia walked over to her student.

“Oh good, you’re awake. How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine Princess. Just a bit tired.”

“I think that might be sugarcoating it.” Applejack said, her hoof feeling Twilight’s forehead for her temperature. Her friend’s coat was clammy and damp. “You need to stay in bed for at least a day. You worked yourself to the bone and you need to get some rest.”

Rarity approached Celestia, trying not to seem presumptuous. “I beg your pardon, Princess. But why on earth was it necessary for Twilight to push her limits like that?”

Rainbow Dash swooped in. “Yeah, I mean, he's just one pony. Even if he is an alicorn, there's only one of him and four of you. What’s the deal?”

Rarity scowled. “Rainbow Dash! You could at least show a little decorum.”

“It’s alright my dear,” Celestia acquiesced. She sighed. “I owe you all an explanation.”

Celestia wandered over to the window, gazing out at the setting sun. How many years had it been? Where should she even start? What was safe to tell them, or even right? So much of that time would give even the bravest of these six nightmares. She'd rather not tell them any more than they needed to know. She took a deep breath.

“Long, long ago, when my sister and I weren’t much more than fillies, Equestria was governed by a different set of rules. No one really knew exactly how ponies became alicorns, and, more often than not, they disappeared as quickly as they arrived. Eventually, a long succession of male alicorns arose, each one more corrupt and greedy than the last. Whenever a new alicorn appeared, they would either overthrow the previous alicorn and take up their mantle of selfishness and cruelty, or be destroyed by the current alicorn trying to defend his reign. Even those renowned for their kindness would fall victim to their own pride and vanity. It was a dark time.”

“Gosh, that sounds absolutely horrible.”

“It was. Ponies all over Equestria lived in squalid conditions. Times were even worse than when the three original tribes were beset by the Windigos. Eventually, one Alicorn grew more powerful than anypony else. He created an amulet that tapped into some unknown force to increase his magical prowess tenfold. I believe you’ve already encountered it.”

“The Alicorn Amulet?”

“Exactly. The one who created it called himself Prince Apex. Using its power, he took control of Equestria and ruled over it with an iron hoof. For a while, it seemed like things would be better under his rule. Life wasn’t nearly as chaotic or dangerous. But then, Apex began to impose stricter and more excessive laws. Ponies were forced to work on strange architectural projects. Sometimes, ponies simply vanished without explanation or warning. He began building an army from the hundreds of followers that came daily, looking for a taste of the power he held. Then, when he had amassed enough horsepower and resources, he set his grander plans into motion.

“During the fifth summer of his reign, he began to incarcerate all the unicorns and alicorns in the kingdom. No one knew why. He claimed it was for the good of the kingdom, but it was obvious that wasn’t the only reason. My sister and I managed to hide because we were small enough to find secluded hiding places, and because we were lucky enough to have sympathetic ponies watching out for us. Rumors began circulating that Apex was planning some sort of massive ritual. Finally, a single reluctant guard stumbled across the details of his ultimate goal. It seemed he was determined to open a rift in space and time to a realm of unimaginable horrors. The guard who discovered his plans initiated a rebellion and began to sabotage his operations. After years of conflict and stalemates, and despite the rebels’ best efforts, Prince Apex’s plan was nearing completion. Out of nowhere, an unknown alicorn mare, who had somehow escaped capture, appeared and confronted Apex. A fierce battle ensued and it seemed as though Apex would prevail. But then, in a brilliant flash of light, both Apex and the alicorn mare vanished into thin air. With no one to take up his mantle, the rebellion gained public support and Apex’s rule was soon dismantled.

“For hundreds of years afterwards, no new alicorns appeared in Equestria. Of those that did eventually arise, not a single one has been male. I’m not entirely sure why, but I believe it may be because the rules have changed. As you know, only those who are pure of heart may be alicorns, but I don’t think it was always that way. I can only guess as to what the other rules may be, and I have not clue as to who or what determines the rules. For a time, I could only theorize that it was somehow determined that men could no longer become alicorns. But the appearance of this alicorn throws all my previous theories into question.

“However, that really has no bearing on this situation. As awful and prejudiced as it may sound, history has shown me that male alicorns are not to be trusted. So, until I can determine what his intentions are, I want to keep him contained so he can’t cause any harm.”

Twilight nodded wearily. “You can count on us Princess.”

“I know, my dear. Now, I must head back to Canterlot. I have to make arrangements for our indefinite stay here in Ponyville.”

“Indefinite? Sister, are you sure?”

“Of course. You and I are the most experienced and powerful spellcasters in Equestria, bar none. Twilight is becoming powerful in her own right,” Twilight blushed at the compliment, “but she’s not experienced enough to handle this on her own. This requires our undivided attention. This alicorn could pose the biggest threat Equestria has seen since King Sombra or Discord. The council can take care of political matters in our absence.”

Luna thought carefully for a moment. “Very well. Hurry back, my sister.”

The elder Princess nodded. “I’ll be back before noon tomorrow.” She turned to Twilight. “Twilight, may we stay with you during this time?”

“Of course, Princess. I’ll have things set up for you when you get back.”

“Thank you, my dear. I’ll return as soon as I can. Should he awaken in the meantime, try to find out who he is and what he wants. But for now, rest. You’ve had a great ordeal and you deserve some shut eye.” Twilight nodded and, unable to fight off exhaustion any longer, drifted off to sleep. Celestia turned to Cadance, who was on her feet and already looking much better.

“Cadance, thank you so much for coming on such short notice.”

“No problem, Princess. I just hope things aren’t as serious as you think.”

“I hope so, too. You may return to the Crystal Empire, now, if you’re feeling better.”

“Thank you. Keep us updated, though.  And if you need any help don’t hesitate to contact us.”

“Of course.”

Cadance looked to Shining Armor. “Ready?”

“Yeah.” He turned to the girls standing guard over Twilight. “Tell her I said I’ll see her later?”

Applejack smiled knowingly. Leave it to a brother to worry about his sister. “You bet, sugarcube.”

“Luna, can you take care of things while I’m gone?” Celestia had walked over to her sister.

“Yes, sister. Be swift.”

“I will.”

Cadance and Shining Armor followed Princess Celestia outside, into the throng of curious ponies. Luna watched them climb into Celestia’s chariot and take off. She shut the door, leaving the guards Celestia left behind to disperse the crowd. She moved over to Spike and the girls.

“Nurse Redheart, you may depart when you feel it appropriate. You girls should get some rest, too. I will watch over the prisoner.”

Pinkie Pie roused at Luna’s declaration, and leapt over the fainting couch. “So, we really are imprisoning him, then?” The concern in her voice was quite evident.

“Yes.” Luna sighed. “I know it sounds harsh, but I agree with my sister. This alicorn poses a danger that you could not possibly understand. Not without having lived through the events that we have experienced firsthoof. I ask only that you trust that we are not making these decisions lightly.”

“Of course we trust you, Princess.” Rainbow Dash flew up beside Pinkie. “It’s just… I don’t think any of us know what to do next.”

Luna bowed her head. “To tell the truth, I don’t think my sister is entirely sure herself. It’s been thousands of years since either of us had to deal with anything like this. For now, we shall stick to the plan. Now go on, get some rest. I have a feeling the next few days will be long, indeed.”


	3. Greeting

_Blackness all around him. He floated, weightless. Silence. Cold. No life. Suddenly, a shadow against the blackness. Then, a flash. Blinding light. Fire. He was falling. Falling._

Sky jolted awake, lunging away from an imaginary precipice. The pressure of the mattress against his back and his wings immediately reassured him. He closed his eyes, sighed and lay back. _What a dream._ His body felt sore and heavy, his muscles stretched in odd ways, the feathers on his wings seemed ruffled not matter how much he shifted, and he couldn’t feel his fingers or toes. _I must have slept funny. Or it could be from fight-_

Memories washed over him. He immediately recalled that his squad had been given their first assignment; a routine border patrol of Planejumper territory in the Bleak Fields of Gehenna, the battlefield dimension of demons and devils. It was the first assignment given to rookies after graduating from Planejumper squad training. New groups were brought through the compound’s Gehenna-locked planar gate. The job was dangerous, but not unmanageable for newbies, especially since they had a pair of veterans assigned to watch them. The demons and devils of Gehenna were generally too preoccupied fighting each other to interfere with Planejumper patrols. But this patrol had gone terribly wrong.

They had begun to patrol around the Murky Canyons, an area scored by muddy rivers and perpetually saturated with thick fog. But a rockslide had blocked off the established route, forcing them to pass through a shallow ravine. In retrospect, he was surprised the vets hadn’t recognized the trap. Or, more alarmingly, perhaps they _had_ realized, and figured a little combat would keep the rookies on their toes. Unfortunately, they had been the first to fall. Halfway through the ravine, he and the other rookies heard a pair of quiet smacks followed by louder thuds. At first, they could see nothing wrong. But when they looked behind them, they noticed two prone forms in the fog behind them. Their overseers lay motionless on the ground, arrows protruding from their necks. Three of his squad – Kiara, Ryan, and Troy – went down before the rest of them had brought their shields up. They huddled together in an incomplete shield dome just as the arrows began raining down on them from above. Most of the missiles clattered on the ground or lodged themselves in their shields. Then, a single shaft slipped through the cracks and pierced Eric in the calf. He fell forward and was instantly riddled with a dozen more. After a while, the arrows petered out, replaced by scores of howling demons sliding down into the ravine.

Combat training kicked in and they formed a tight group. Demons charged in from all directions. His mind had screamed with the urge to fly away, making his wings twitch in anticipation. But doing so would have meant abandoning his squad, none of whom could fly. So he stood fast, hoping for a miracle. What happened next was lost in the blur of an adrenaline fueled skirmish. He remembered the pained cries of his comrades as they were overcome by the greater numbers. First Danny, then Mariella, and finally Rory. They had him backed into a corner. Sometime during the fray he had lost his sword. He was having difficulty fending off their spears. It wouldn’t have taken much effort to finish him off. So, why hadn't they? At the time, he supposed he was incredibly lucky they hadn't.

A massive golden dragon dropped onto the demon battalion with meteoric force. Bodies flew in every direction. Sky realized now that the sound of battle had likely reached his mentor in the main encampment. He knew his mentor was a dragon, but Sky had never seen his true form. This version seemed much more dangerous than the wizened, one-eyed old man. In moments, he had torn through the enemy's ranks and reached Sky in his corner. He could see more demonic soldiers pouring in from every direction, swarms of them filling the air. The dragon turned his back to Sky, ready to fight the incoming soldiers, and called over his shoulder.

“Sky! Shift out now! I won’t be able to protect you against this many opponents.”

“But-“

“Go!”

He had hesitated only for a moment, but that had probably been too long. As soon as he began pouring the energy necessary for the emergency Plane shift into his amulet, he had been tackled from behind. Sky and his assailant had tumbled forward, interrupting the spell. But instead of falling on the ground, they had continued to fall. Suddenly, everything was black. They had shifted into the Astral Plane. Sky had immediately covered his mouth with a free hand, conjuring up an air spell to allow him to breathe. The Astral Plane was airless and without gravity, but not a true vacuum. It was filled with a strange substance that was simultaneously energy and matter. His mentor had called it the ‘Astral Miasma,’ the building blocks of the multiverse.

Although he knew about the Plane, that didn’t make his situation less dire. The Astral Plane didn’t behave like other Planes. Spatial coordinates were all but useless, as the laws of space and time apparently didn’t apply here. The only way to navigate it was via a projection of the soul, which remained tethered to the physical body in the Plane it left behind. If any physical being entered, they were as good as lost for all eternity. Even if they managed to survive the airless environment, the nature of the Plane made it impossible to backtrack even an inch.

Sky had been distracted from this thought only when he realized his assailant still gripped him tightly. He had struggled, trying to get leverage against his opponent. Eventually, he was able to kick them away. He had hoped that was enough to be rid of them for good. But then, a brilliant white light flared a short distance away. Before him floated a man with ash-gray skin, and eyes and hair as black as their surroundings. He was dressed in the crimson tinted armor of a captain in the armies of Hell. One hand held a ball of light, the other, a wicked curved sword, apparently not needing to maintain a breathing spell. _A devil._

In the present, a cold feeling washed over him. Sky realized that the devil had likely somehow tricked the demons into helping him attack the patrol. It wouldn’t have been hard; lesser demons were notoriously thick witted. The devil had only needed one Planejumper soldier for his purposes. Sky had survived out of sheer dumb luck. The devil would have tortured him to get access to the main Planejumper compound. Afterwards, he would have handed Sky over to the demons, if he had been feeling merciful.

But at the time, Sky hadn’t had enough time to realize this, because the devil had noticed him in the glow of the mage-light. He left the ball of light to drift, in favor of balls of fire, which he began hurling at Sky. Sky barely had time to toss away his shield and conjure up one made of arcane force before the fireballs bore down on him. Blocking them head-on used too much energy and he had precious little to spare, so his only hope was to try and deflect them. All the while, the devil was shouting at him, pausing every other word to throw a fireball.

“Why… couldn’t you… just finish… the spell?”

The barrage of fire ceased. “Well, at least killing you will be some small compensation for having to spend eternity here.” The devil suddenly accelerated towards Sky, propelling himself with a column of fire. Sky did the only thing he could do; he fled. He blasted away on a column of his own fire, steering with his wings, trying frantically to outrun the devil. But the devil had a head start on him. His energy was draining fast. Sky couldn’t remember much after that. There had been a flash and a glowing nebulous cloud had erupted out of nowhere directly in front of them. He could recall struggling with the devil. A fireball – he couldn’t remember whose it had been – exloded between them, and then nothing.

He did remember learning about cloudy areas in the Astral Plane. According to the Planejumpers’ research, Astral clouds were thin spots in the fabric of the multiverse, areas where the walls between the Outer Planes and the Astral Plane were weakest. The Planejumpers used them to create gateways between the various Planes and the main compound. But to do that, they had to have agents on either side to make the connection, which could only happen one of two ways. They could shift over if the Planes were to overlap, but that was uncommon and unreliable. Most of the time, they had to search for naturally occurring ‘wyrmholes’ – so named for the dragons that revealed the unusual phenomena – to get onto the intended Plane. Projections could pass onto other Planes using Astral clouds, but couldn’t make connections. No matter how he looked at it, the only way he could have gotten onto this Plane is if someone had tried to make a connection from the other side.

Thinking about the implications gave Sky a headache. He tried to cover his eyes with his right hand, to block out the intrusive light. But when he did, something solid hit his face. _A cast?_ He opened his eyes for the second time, squinting against the light. At first, the blurry outline of his hand seemed to confirm that he was wearing a cast. But when he tried to wiggle his fingers, he realized that his hand was unrestricted. Alarmed, he blinked the blurriness away, and in front of him was a strange, white appendage with a blackened stub of an extremity. His heart skipped a beat.

It moved in whatever way he tried to move his arm. Try as he might, he couldn’t prove it wasn’t his. He was sitting upright now, heart hammering against his ribs. He reached out with his other arm to examine this alien limb with his other hand. But that was gone too, replaced by the same thing that was now his right arm. His brain could only process one response. He began screaming. In the back of his mind, paranoia began to wonder if that was the only thing wrong. It was only then that he noticed something wrong with his legs. He looked down. His legs were no longer human.  They bent strangely. The muscles were all wrong. He screamed again. This couldn’t be happening. Suddenly, his mentor’s words echoed in the back of his mind.

_“Sky, magic is a strange and wondrous power. It can be small and benign, or it can rock the very foundations of the earth. Just remember; like almost all things in life, magic is fluid, and can be changed or undone if you understand its nature. But to understand the nature of anything, you must have an open mind and a critical eye. Set aside your emotions. Examine the situation without bias and from every point of view. Only then will you be able to remain in control.”_

Sky inhaled and released a controlled breath. He had been hyperventilating and hadn’t realized it. _Okay. Alright. So, I’m on a different plane. I was brought here by someone; could they have transmuted me? But what purpose would that serve? Could it be that-?_

Before he could contemplate further, he heard a thundering sound coming up the stairs. He fell back onto the bed, trying to feign sleep. The door banged open, and the thundering continued. _Are those… hoof beats?_ It had to be. Only hooves made such a distinctive sound. He heard a boyish, but feminine voice shouting as they burst into the room.

“What’s going on?! We heard somepony screaming up here.”

Despite the tension and confusion he felt, Sky had to suppress a snicker. Some _pony_? It was a little ridiculous, but it also started to confirm his suspicions. Whoever had busted through the door began to make their way through the room, and he counted several sets of hooves pacing around him. He decided to risk cracking an eye open. Squinting, he saw several horse-shaped blurs roaming the floor of the room. It wouldn’t have been that unsettling, if the horse-beings hadn’t been so colorful. He opened his eye as wide as he dared, and the creatures became clearer. They were definitely horses, but among them he saw two that had wings, one that had a horn, and one that had both. _Pegasi, unicorns, and something else. Strange._ None of them had riders. Moreover, he realized that he was in a library. The candy colored horses – or perhaps ponies; it was hard to tell without a frame of reference – had large, human-like eyes, expressive faces, and a plethora of mane styles. It dawned on him that they might be the ones that spoke. A pink pony with curly bubblegum-pink hair bounced into view.

“I don’t see anypony up here. Do you think it was him?” Her voice was high-pitched and bubbly, even though she wore a worried expression. The only other ‘normal’ pony – what could be classified as normal in this world, anyway? – trotted up next to the pink one.

“He must’ve been hollerin’ in his sleep.”

Sky had to fight back another bout of laughter. This one wore a cowboy hat and a blonde mane in a loose ponytail, and spoke like a true Terran-born South American. He struggled to maintain composure. It was all so comical.

The midnight blue pony – he decided to call them ponies, even if they had wings and horns; they _were_ referring to themselves as such, after all – wandered towards his cot. He quickly shut his eye, not wanting to give himself away. Her voice was breezy and light, despite her regal tone and diction. From the adornments she wore, it seemed likely that she was some form of royalty.

“I would not be surprised. The manner of his arrival here was certainly violent enough. I would not doubt that he came from some nightmarish situation. Though whether it was his nightmare or someone else's remains to be seen.” She paused. “Come, let us leave him be. It would not be wise to awaken him prematurely.”

The hoof beats retreated. The royal pony spoke to the others as they left. “I shall stand guard outside the door. You all should return downstairs to watch over Twilight. Do not come up here unless I call.”

“Alright, Princess. We’ll be right downstairs if you need anything.” The same tomboyish voice that had shouted when they burst into to room now echoed from the hall. If he had to guess, it probably belonged to the sky-blue pegasus with the rainbow mane. The door closed behind them and Sky opened an eye. The room was empty once more.

Sky got up slowly, trying to process the sudden rush of new information. He was in an undiscovered Plane, of that he was now certain. He had never read any reports that described anything to match what he’d seen here. Fortunately, he did remember reading about Planes that changed the form of sentient life to better match its nature. Therefore, it was likely that he had become a horse – or pony – upon arrival. But how much of him had changed? He looked back, trying to stretch his wings. They unfolded, and he sighed in relief. At least they remained the same. He had only gotten his wings a few years ago, when he joined the Planejumpers, but he had become quite fond of them. Then, he remembered the one that appeared to be a cross between a unicorn and a pegasus, and he wondered if maybe… just maybe…

He gently probed his forehead with a hoof; for the black things at the end of his legs were hooves, weren't they? It connected with something bony, just under a foot long, and attached to his skull. Sure enough, he had a horn. He wondered what it signified. It also seemed to be encased in something metallic. This brought another realization to the forefront of his thoughts. His hooves were more sensitive to texture and heat than he would expect. They seemed to be about as elastic as rubber, but still just as tough as a normal horse’s hooves. Looking at them, his forelegs were also more muscular than a horse’s, and as articulate as human arms. Perhaps they would be better classified as arms. The anatomy of these ponies was certainly curious. He wished he had a mirror to better study his new body. He stroked the metallic object on his horn, wondered what it could be.

The cool touch of the metal made him suddenly aware of its absence from his chest. He was missing his Astral Shard pendant. Frantically, he rolled out of the cot and flipped the mattress onto the floor. He searched every corner of the bed, underneath it, and all around it, stumbling over himself as he tried to navigate on four legs. The amulet was nowhere to be found. He lunged away from the bed, but before he could get more than a foot away, he ran face first into a barrier he had previously missed; a clear, glass-like sphere, trapping him inside of an arcane circle. He had been so absorbed looking for his amulet that he had missed the mattress sliding off the magical barrier.

These ponies had summoned him from the Astral Plane, taken his Astral Shard, and imprisoned him in a magical cell. He’d underestimated them. They were more calculating than they appeared. He wondered if the power of their magic matched their cunning. He began gathering the energy necessary to testing the strength of the barrier, which seemed to flow into his horn. But as soon as any magic began pooling, it vanished as if down a drain, siphoned away by the cold caress of steel. Only one thing could drain arcane energy so completely; a magic inhibitor. Suddenly, the presence of the thing around his newly-grown horn made that much more sense. The ponies no longer seemed so innocent and comical. Just then, the door opened and the Princess walked in.

“Ah, so you are awake. I was beginning to wonder-”

“Where is it?!” Sky shouted at her, all pretense of civility thrown aside.

“Beg pardon?”

“My Astral Shard; I know you have it.”

“Are you referring to the amulet you were wearing?”

“Yes! I don’t know what you hope to gain by keeping me here, but I can say this for sure. You chose the wrong people to mess with.”

“Oh? And who would that be?” She even managed to look genuinely puzzled when she asked this. He bared his teeth in a silent snarl.

“As if you don’t know. If I can see through your game, I guarantee you that my betters will, too. Plenty of others have tried to infiltrate the Planejumper compound and failed. I wouldn't be surprised if they've already sent a team to retrieve me.”

It gave him a small thrill of satisfaction to note the moment of alarm that crossed her face. But then she became unreadable, staring at him for what seemed like ages. Had she seen through his bluff? He was only a rookie, after all, and not a very popular one at that. Would anyone even bother to come looking for him? Eventually, she began walking around his bubble.

“I suppose it is safe to assume that you are a member of your so-called ‘Planejumpers.’ And, from the way you speak about them, I presume your ‘Planejumpers’ are some sort of mercenary organization. So I will warn you now, my sister and I will not tolerate hostile forces on our lands. Any actions you take that we deem threatening will be met with swift and uncompromising retribution. Now, since it seems you will not respond to civility, I will get straight to the point. First, your name?”

Sky remained silent. They stared each other down. After a while, the Princess sighed.

“Very well. I expected as much, but I suppose it is not as important as my other question. What do you intend?”

Sky’s rage faltered. “What?”

“For what reason have you come to Equestria?”

Sky frowned, but this time out of confusion. “You tell me. You’re the ones who brought me here.”

It was her turn to be surprised and confused. “We have done no such thing.”

“No? I was lost in the Astral Plane. The only way to escape was for someone to open a gate that I could come through. So I ask you, why did you bring me here and imprison me? What do _you_ want with the Planejumpers?”

“So,” the Princess touched her chin in contemplation, “what you are saying is that it was not your intention to come here, but rather an accident?”

“Well it certainly wasn’t _my_ choice.”

“Hmmm… An interesting story, if true. However, seeing as we have no way of verifying it, you will have to wait for my sister to return so that we may discuss the best course of action. In the meantime, make yourself comfortable. It may be a while.”

She left the room, ignoring his venomous glare. As soon as the door had closed completely, Sky’s shoulders slumped and his rage subsided. It looked like he was stuck here. A part of him wondered if that was so bad. From what he’d just witnessed, it seemed as though they didn’t really imprison him with malicious intent. Perhaps he was overreacting. _Even so, I shouldn’t let my guard down. This is a new Plane, and I can’t take anything at face value._ Quite often, the things that seemed the most benign were actually the most treacherous. The more he thought about it, the more he was convinced that they were trying to build a case against the Planejumpers by accusing him of invading. Unfortunately, he had no way of finding out for certain. Only time would tell.

Sky made his way around the bed to the mattress and, after a small struggle, managed to wrestle it back onto the frame. He climbed back onto the bed, and attempted to get comfortable, trying to ignore to rumbling ache building in his stomach. It seemed unlikely that they would try to poison him, if they were in fact trying to make him their scapegoat, but there was no telling when they might actually feed him. He’d have to stay strong if he wanted to survive this. He could at least be grateful that he was no longer trapped in the Astral Plane. Now he had a chance to make his way back to the Planejumpers. He’d just have to wait for the right opportunity to present itself. But for now, the best thing he could do was try to get some sleep. He lay his head down and waited for darkness to take him.


	4. Escape

Applejack took the damp towel from Spike’s claws and placed it on Twilight’s brow, hoping it would bring her temperature down. After all that had happened that day, she wouldn’t be surprised if Twilight came down with something. She was running a low fever, but it didn’t seem serious. She would be fine if she could get some bed rest. However, knowing Twilight, she’d probably try to be up and about as soon as she awoke, organizing and tidying the entire library for the Princesses’ stay. As long as she was here, AJ would make sure Twilight took care of herself.

She gazed sidelong at the staircase. It hadn’t been long after they had returned to the ground floor before they heard a racket coming from the upstairs library. But it had quickly subsided, and they could hear the faint murmur of conversation between Princess Luna and the stranger. Applejack couldn’t help but feel apprehensive. Should they really have left Luna alone with him? It’s true he was effectively contained, but what if something went wrong? Still, Luna had told them not to go upstairs unless she called. If anypony knew how to handle this, it would be Celestia and Luna.

“Is Twilight gonna be alright, Applejack?” Spike asked, voice wavering, wringing his claws. _Poor thing’s making himself sick with worry._

“Don’t you fret, sugarcube. She’ll be right as rain in the mornin’. She just needs to get some rest.”

“Oh, ok.” He said, though he didn’t sound convinced.

The sound of a door opening and hooves on the stairs echoed down to the main room. All eyes snapped up to the staircase. Soon, Luna appeared, looking concerned. Rarity and Pinkie rushed over to the foot of the stairs. Applejack stood, but stayed by Twilight and Fluttershy.

“Princess! Is everything alright?” Rarity asked.

“Yeah! We heard banging and shouting! Are you okay?” Pinkie added, dancing on her hooves. Luna sighed.

“I am fine. Our guest has awoken, it seems.”

“Ugh… and… what does he want?”

Twilight stirred on the couch. Instantly, all attention was on her. Applejack immediately resumed mothering. Spike hung onto the edge of the couch.

“Twilight,” Spike fussed, “how are you feeling?”

“Better. The nap helped. But what about the alicorn? What did you learn?”

“He was not very forthcoming. He did let slip that he belongs to a group that call themselves the Planejumpers. I believe they may be some sort of mercenary organization, though what designs they may have here he did not say. He was outraged that we confiscated his amulet, which he calls a Planar Shard. It seems to be a method for him to return to where he came from. However, he claims that he did not come here of his own volition. He believes that we were the ones who brought him here.”

Twilight frowned, thinking the new information over. Her eyes widened in sudden realization.

“I think I actually could have brought him here.”

Luna walked over to the lounge. “What makes you say that, Twilight?”

“Well, the cloud that we saw this morning was obviously magical. What if I accidentally caused it to bring him here when I blasted it with magic?”

Luna hummed. “I suppose it is possible. We still don’t understand the true nature of that cloud. Your spell could have activated another inside of it, or possibly interfered with its energies and caused it to do something unintended. However, this is nothing more than speculation. Unless we can determine the exact nature of that cloud or get the mystery soldier to confess to having something to do with its creation, we can’t know for certain.”

“So, what should we do now?” Rainbow Dash asked as the girls all joined Luna next to the couch. The Moon Princess thought for a moment, considering the options.

“I still believe your first course of action should be to get some sleep. It has been a long and tiring day for all of you, and I need you at your best for the coming days. I will continue to stand guard over the alicorn.”

“But what about you, Princess? Even you need to sleep sometime.”

“You needn’t worry about me. I am used to keeping a nocturnal vigil. I will tell you my plans tomorrow morning.”

Applejack sighed. Her first instincts were to tell Luna off and order her to get some sleep, like she would have if she were speaking to Applebloom. She had to remind herself that Luna was the Princess of the Night. It was her job to watch over the citizens of Equestria during the night. But this time, she wasn’t going to do it alone.

“Well then,” Applejack announced, “it’s a good thing I had Applebloom and her friends gather up our sleepin’ things.” She wandered over to a pile of saddlebags, bedrolls, and other assorted luggage, the majority of which had Rarity’s cutie mark emblazoned upon them, and began picking out her things. “We’ll stay here tonight. You can count on us.”

It was Luna’s turn to sigh. “Very well, but you needn’t feel as though your presence here is required. You may return to your homes to sleep, if you wish. I can handle things here in the meantime.”

“Thanks, Luna, but we’re fine here,” Pinkie Pie piped in, “it’ll be like a slumber party!”

“Yeah! We may not have our Elements anymore,” Rainbow Dash explained, “but that doesn’t mean we’re gonna leave you, Twilight, and Spike to guard him all on your own.”

“I’m not really sure how much help I’ll be,” Fluttershy mumbled, “but I’ll do what I can.”

Rarity backed Fluttershy. “Yes. As much as I prefer to get my beauty sleep, I couldn’t possibly rest easy knowing that I let my friends take on such an important responsibility without me.”

Twilight smiled at her friends. “Thanks, you guys. I’m glad you’ll be here with us. Now, if you’ll excuse me,” she stated, starting to get up off the couch, “I need to get the guest room ready for Celestia and Luna.”

Applejack was at Twilight’s side in a heartbeat, pushing her back down onto the lounge.

“Oh, no you don’t. You’ve done plenty today, already. You need to get some bed rest, else you're gonna catch a cold.”

“Applejack, I’m fine. I’ve rested enough as it is.”

“No!” Fluttershy’s exclamation startled everyone. “Oh, um, sorry. What I mean is, you’ve pushed yourself pretty hard today, and you’re only gonna hurt yourself if you push too hard.”

“Exactly. Let us help you out. You’re the one that taught me to let others help me when I need it, remember?” Applejack winked.

Twilight yawned. “I suppose you’re right. I am still pretty tired.”

“It’s settled then. You keep restin’, we’ll get things ready.”

“I believe I can be of some assistance in that regard,” Rarity offered, bouncing her curls. “Fluttershy? Be a dear, won’t you, and help me with the preparations. We must transform her guest room into a suite fit for a Princess.” She finished her dramatics with a grand flourish.

“That really won’t be necessary. Normal preparations will be suitable.”

“Nonsense! You are a Princess! You deserve nothing less. I insist.”

Luna slouched in defeat. “Very well. Do as you feel you must. I only wanted to spare you unnecessary hardship.”

“Oh, it’s no trouble at all. This is just the sort of thing I live for.” With that, she trotted off to begin her new project, Fluttershy following her apprehensively.

“We’ll start setting up our sleepin’ things down here.” Applejack started picking out the sleeping rolls from the pile.

“Great,” Twilight added sleepily, “but I think I’m gonna go sleep in my bed. I hope you guys don’t mind.”

“Not at all, sugarcube. You’ll sleep better in a bed,” Applejack said as she, Pinkie, and Rainbow unrolled their sleeping bags. “Go right ahead, we’ll be down here if’n you need us.”

Twilight yawned. “Thanks. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“G’night.” Spike helped Twilight onto her hooves and guided her to the stairs. Applejack watched them ascend to the second floor, unable to shake her worry loose. Deep down, she knew that Twilight would be fine. But still, seeing her friend this weak kicked her maternal instincts into overdrive. She lay restlessly on her bedroll. _Twilight’ll be fine in the morning_ , she told herself, trying to ignore the cramped feeling in her legs.

 

* * *

 

Sky waited. He was unsure how long he’d lain in the same position. Judging from the length of the conversation he had heard going on downstairs, it can’t have been more than a few minutes. He took the opportunity to examine his prison circle further. He recognized none of the runes. _Figures. They use an entirely different writing system. It's a miracle I'm able to understand them at all without my Astral Shard._ He wouldn’t be able to decipher the spells they used like this.

Eventually, they seemed to reach a consensus and he heard hooves ascending the stairs again. He raised his head to watch the door, wanting to get a good look at his captors this time. No use in pretending to sleep anymore; he had already revealed himself. He tried to maintain a chilly demeanor, but a thought nagged at him. _Are you really sure these ponies have evil intentions?_ He tried to shake the thought. Of course he was sure. They had imprisoned him without provocation. What reason would they have to do so? _And if they felt threatened? What would the Planejumpers do if someone suddenly appeared in the compound?_ His resolve wavered.

The door to the study opened and in stepped a pony he hadn’t seen before. This one was lavender, with a deep blue mane and tail, each with a single streak of purple and pink. Like the Princess he had met earlier, she had both wings and a horn. This one, however, was smaller and unadorned by anything to distinguish her station. She also seemed to be exhausted. She was having trouble standing, and was leaning on a small dragon that he only just noticed.

His heart skipped a beat. A baby dragon? How in all the worlds had these ponies been able to get their hands – er, hooves – on a dragon egg? Death was the only thing that could keep a dragon from her children. Even with their powerful magic, these ponies didn’t seem arrogant enough to pick a fight with a dragon without a very good reason, and kidnapping a dragon's egg was hardly a good reason. They had to have found one in the lair of a dead dragon. However, all of the creatures that could kill a mother dragon were more interested in devouring or destroying her eggs and the chances of them missing or ignoring even a single egg were incredibly slim. So how had they come across this one?

The dragon had helped the new pony up a nearby set of stairs while he was wondering, and into what he realized to be a bedroom set up on the landing above him.

“There you go, Twilight. Need anything else? Another pillow or blanket? A glass of water, maybe?”

“I’m fine, Spike. Thank you. Why don’t you get to bed, too? It’s been a long day.”

The dragon, Spike, nodded and yawned. But then, the yawn turned into a belch, and the green flame that escaped his mouth coalesced into a scroll. He opened it, read a few lines, and then turned to the pony Sky now understood to be Twilight.

“It’s from Celestia.”

“I know that.” He could almost hear her eyes rolling. “What does it say?”

“Actually, it’s for Luna. Just an update on how things are going back in Canterlot.”

 _Luna?_ Was that the Princess he spoke to earlier? It was possible. He did seem to remember her having a mark that strongly resembled a crescent moon. _If that is her name, it certainly fits._

“You’d better go give it to her then.”

He yawned again. “Alright, I’ll be back in a sec.”

Sky followed Spike’s progress down the stairs. He was curious about this 'Celestia' and how she was connected to recent events. But the scroll was closed to him, so he couldn’t even read it in passing. _Not that I could, anyway, if they write with the same alphabet for their arcane runes._ The dragon stumbled and tripped his way through the room, toppling several of the towers of books that littered the floor. Sky realized that he had been so angry the he'd failed to notice the amount of books strewn about the room. He heard Spike stumble over another loose paperback, and an idea flashed through his mind. The idea quickly became a crude plan. It was a long shot, but it could help him to escape.

Sky heard Luna thank Spike from out in the hall, and the dragon shuffled back in. Sky waited for the dragon to make his way closer. When Spike was a yard away, Sky called out.

“I’ll take a glass.”

The dragon paused. “Huh?”

“A glass of water? I haven’t had anything to drink in days.” He wasn’t sure how true this was, but it felt like it had been as long.

“Oh…um…” Spike glanced up to Twilight, then back at the stairwell door. “I… I guess that’d be okay.”

“I would hope so. Unless ponies purposefully dehydrate their prisoners.”

“No! Of course not!” Spike realized he was yelling and winced, glancing sheepishly up at Twilight’s bedroom landing. Fortunately for him, it seemed she was already deeply asleep. He whispered harshly at Sky. “I’ll be right back. _Don’t_ wake Twilight up.”

Sky raised a hoof in mockery of a pledge. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

Spike gave him the stink-eye, trying to appraise his honesty, and waddled angrily out of the room. Sky fidgeted on the mattress. There were a lot of what-ifs with this plan. _Oh well; nothing ventured, nothing gained._ The least he would get out of this was a drink of water. He stiffened at the sound of claws on the stairs.

The young dragon shuffled into the room, slopping water over the sides of the glass. Sky grinned wildly. _This could work._ He watched as Spike picked his way across the floor, trying not to trip, but paying less attention to the glass as a result. When he paid attention to the glass, he would stumble and almost fall. Either way, more and more of the water ended up on the floor. Sky was almost shivering with anticipation. Finally, his moment came. When Spike was about five feet away and staring at the floor, Sky shouted.

“Watch it!”

Spike, startled by the outburst, immediately switched his attention to the glass, sure that it was about to slip. But in doing so, he lost track of the books at his feet. His toes caught on a particularly thick hardcover and he tripped, sending the glass flying. Sky tensed, ready to spring from the cot and make a dash for the nearby balcony. He watched it fall in slow motion. The glass tumbled end over end, spraying its contents everywhere. The droplets fell like rain. He gritted his teeth. _C’mon, fall._ But as he watched, he realized that he wasn’t just watching in slow motion, it was actually halting in midair. He looked to the doorway, and saw Luna glaring back, her horn enveloped in the glow of magic. He slouched, crestfallen. His plan had almost worked.

“That was not very wise of you. Do not attempt to manipulate Spike like that again.”

Sky sniffed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I just wanted a glass of water. He’s the one who tripped.” Maybe there was still a chance. _If I can just get her to avert her gaze…_

“Are you alright, Spike?” Success! She turned to help Spike up, giving Sky the opportunity to try one last ditch attempt at freedom. He focused all of the magic he could muster on one droplet in the cloud of water. In order to affect it through the magical barrier, he had to send his energy through the Astral Plane, a feat never had much chance to practice. He punctured a miniscule hole between the planes, immediately pumping all the mana he could convert through it. It snaked wildly, wanting to break free, but he concentrated all of his will on making it obey. He was able to puncture back through an inch away from the barrier on the other side. The stream twisted and convulsed, and he strained to push it towards the hovering spray of water. He could feel his grasp of the spell slipping. Just before he lost control entirely, the energy contacted a single droplet, and the arcane thread whipped back at him like a retracting measuring tape. The backlash slammed into him like a punch to the head and he reeled. Sky realized that, had he been able to use his full power, the backlash may have killed him. He closed his eyes, trying to keep the room from spinning.

“Here.”

He opened one eye to find the glass of water floating in front of him. He eyed it curiously. Luna frowned.

“Well?”

“Well what?”

“You wanted a drink of water, did you not?”

“Ah.” He suddenly realized he had no idea how he was going to achieve this. He didn’t have hand to grasp it, and he had far too little energy to levitate it. Eventually, he decided to try balancing it with a hoof. He turned a hoof over, and placed it beneath the glass. She released her magic and, to his great surprise, he was able to keep it stable. It was much like he was balancing it on his palm. Carefully, he brought it to his lips and upended it.

The coolness of the water hit him first. Sky suddenly realized just how truly thirsty he had been. He gulped it down greedily. When the last drop had slid onto his tongue, he found himself disappointed.

“I don’t suppose I could ask for another?”

Luna sighed. “Very well. I shall get it for you this time. Spike, you may return to bed. You,” stared pointedly at Sky, “do _not_ disturb them.”

“Alright, alright.” He conceded. As she left the room, Sky eyed the circle. Sure enough, his tendril of energy had been enough to unfreeze a single droplet of water, which now soaked into a chalk rune. It wasn’t enough to cause any visible changes, but the rune had been weakened. It might be enough to allow him to break through. A triumphant smirk crept onto his mouth. _And now we wait._

* * *

 

Sweat ran rivers down Sky’s face. He pushed all his weight forward, puncturing the magical barrier with his horn. For hours he had strained to get through the prison bubble. The drop of water had weakened the barrier, but only barely. Sky had begun trying to penetrate the wall of the barrier immediately after Luna had left him to his own devices. If he could only get his horn halfway through the barrier, he might be able to short out the barrier by pouring his energy into the right spots. But, he could already see the sky lightening through the windows. Soon, these ponies would wake up and catch him stuck in the barrier. He shoved against the barrier with renewed purpose. They were up to something, he was sure of it. He had to get a message to the Commander, to warn the Planejumpers. Whatever these ponies wanted, it meant trouble.

Sky’s head throbbed. The clouds soaked in the pinks, oranges, and yellows of the sunrise. His body tried to give out, tried to stop moving, to force him to sleep. But he kept pushing. He was so close. _Just one more push._

He suddenly lurched forward. This was it. He was through. He grunted, trying to focus through the pounding headache, pouring every last drop of energy he had into the barrier. It began to hum, then hum became a buzz, and he could feel the vibration through his horn. The spell was destabilizing. The wall of the barrier rattled, and finally shattered. He heard his captors stirring. No time to lose. He staggered his way over to the glass door, and shouldered his way onto the balcony. He heard the Princess burst into the room behind him.

“What’s-”

She needed only a moment to process what had happened, but Sky took that moment to fling himself over the edge of the balcony with all the conviction he had built up since his first day of flight school. Of course, he still had no idea how flight would work in this body, not to mention the mental and physical exhaustion. As a result, his awkward flapping managed only to slow his descent enough to barely avoid breaking his legs. He slammed into the ground, knocking the air from his lungs. But shouting from inside the tree-house he just left motivated him. _On your feet. Hooves. Whatever._

At first, his legs refused to move as he wanted them to. But adrenaline kicked in, and he found himself galloping, despite having no practice doing so. He was sprinting, with no clue where to go. _Alright. Plan. What’s the plan?_ He needed to get word to the Planejumpers, that much was certain. But without his Astral Shard, he had no means of contacting them quickly. He wracked his brain. _The dimensional anchor!_ If he was brought here from the Astral Plane, they would have had to create an arcane circle to tether his energy to. The principle was the same for creating a gate between Planes. If he could find the dimensional anchor, he might be able to connect to Headquarters, or at least set up a beacon. But how was he going to find it? For all he knew it was inside the tree-house he just left behind. He slipped into an alley, slowing for a moment to consider where he should go.

“Quickly! Find him! He must not be allowed to escape.” Luna’s voice echoed down alley behind him. They were hot on his tail. He couldn’t run or fight. He had to hide. A nearby stack of hay bales caught his eye. He leapt behind them, hoping against hope that they would conceal from his pursuers. The clatter of hooves on cobble followed him into his hiding spot. They halted, apparently at the mouth of the alleyway. One of the ponies paced nervously.

“We lost him!” The one he assumed to be Rainbow Dash cried out in frustration.

“Fear not. We will find him. Spread out, search all of Ponyville. He cannot have gone far. If you find him, do not engage him by yourself. Call out and the rest of us will gather as quickly as we can. I will check the impact site. The rest of you, fan out. Now go!”

Sky crouched as low as possible, to avoid the roving eyes of the search party. The sound of hooves and wings reverberated all around him as they passed by his hiding spot. He peeked out from behind the stack of hay bales, and caught Princess Luna’s starry tail disappearing around the corner. _Impact site?_ Whatever it was, it sounded important. If she was heading straight there, it was likely either something she thought Sky had reason to seek out, or something she didn’t want him to discover. Either way, his curiosity was piqued. He followed as quietly as he could manage, staying off the cobbled streets as much as possible. Several times, he thought he had lost her, only to catch a glimpse of her tail retreating around a corner.

As she progressed, he found that she was making her way out of town. He was forced to gallop between the scarce underbrush and into small thickets that dotted the side of the road. However, soon he came to the last thicket he could see for miles. If he tried to tail her now, the airborne pegasi would spot him hiding in the dips of the hills. He slumped down and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Something wet on his hooves smeared across his face. He wiped it off angrily, and something clicked in his mind. _Mud._ He was sitting in a mud puddle. Sky took a deep breath and rolled around in the cold, soft earth, obscuring his white coat with mud and tufts of grass. It was cold and uncomfortable, but it was as good a camouflage as he was going to get.

Sky crept over the next rise to find Luna standing next to a toppled tree a hundred yards away, casting her gaze about. He scurried down into the next dip, but something to his right caught his attention; a huge swath of churned earth that extended to the tree where the Princess was standing. If anything constituted an impact site, this would be it. He crawled over to the shallow channel. It was already filling up with water from the surrounding field. Sky cautiously skirted the edge, watching Luna’s movements. After several nerve-wracking minutes, he made it to the initial impact point of whatever had made this crater. Suddenly, his hoof dipped in a way he wasn’t expecting. Sky whipped around to confront the new threat, but what he found shocked him.

He had stepped into the charred remains of a dimensional anchor. This had to be where they had brought him through. Somehow, the process of pulling him onto their Plane had scooped away half of the arcane circle and a large chunk of land with it. Sky groaned. _The fireball probably had something to do with this._ Examining further, he realized that he recognized over half of the symbols that had been used in this circle, though they were from several different runic alphabets. His eyes widened. _That’s impossible. No one can make this many languages work together. None of this makes sense. I don't even see any of the symbols that were used in the containment bubble.  
_

If he was going to contact the Planejumpers, he couldn't stand around pondering the meaning of this strange anchor. Sky glanced back at the spot where Luna had been, but found no trace. He quickly scanned his surroundings. She was nowhere in sight. _This could be my chance._ Sky set to work, furiously scraping at the ground with his hoof, scuffing out most of the runes and writing in others, trying to fill in the other half of the circle. He couldn't create a new dimensional anchor; he would have to completely redo the arcane geometry, and he didn’t have nearly enough time to work that out. However, most of the designs that were already in place could work for the simpler beacon spell. A few times, he couldn’t remember the correct runes to use and had to make educated guesses. After several minutes of frantic scribbling, he started to feel like he was running out of time. The risk of getting caught rose exponentially the longer he waited. He’d just have to cross his fingers - figuratively - and hope for the best.

Sky lowered his horn to the ground, since it had become the primary conduit for his magic. He began converting the little energy he’d been able to save up into mana and immediately poured the product into the recently finished runes. Even without trying to pool his arcane energy, much of it was siphoned off by the inhibitor. The circle began to glow faintly, but he could already feel his tenuous grip on consciousness slipping. _C’mon, just a little bit more._ Just as the circle reached the required saturation, Luna’s voice bellowed behind him.

“Oh no, stop!”

But it was too late. The beacon erupted in a column of light that disappeared into the morning sky. She watched in horror as the spell circle’s glow faded, its function complete.

“What have you done?”

Sky grinned weakly and chuckled.

“You’re… in for it… now,” he gloated breathlessly, “I’ve… alerted… the Planejumpers. Whatever… you have… planned for them… they’ll be… prepared now. Your plots… will be… exposed.”

“What are you talking about?” She cried.

“I may not… know what you’re scheming… but we will find out. The Planejumpers… have dealt with threats to the multiverse that you could never imagine. You may as well give up now… As long as the Planejumpers… are your enemies, you will never… succeed.” Sky moved to take a step forward and his strength finally failed. He crashed to the ground, unable to move. Defeated, he choked back a sob. _This is it._ They wouldn’t have a reason to keep him alive after this. He’d only been with the Planejumpers for few years and his time was already coming to a close. At the very least, he’d been able to warn them of an impending threat. But as he lay in the dirt, caked in dried mud and grass, he realized that Luna hadn’t moved an inch. He glared at her.

“Well? What are you waiting for? End it!”

She flinched away from him. At that moment, doubt began dissolving the previously fiery conviction. Her eyes were glistening and her lower lip quivered almost imperceptibly. When she spoke, he realized she was having a difficult time keeping her voice steady.

“Why are you doing this?”

“I…”

“We only wanted to reach a peaceful agreement. I had hoped you would be different from the other males, but it seems my sister was right. I guess some things don’t change even after a thousand years. I just wish to know why; what have we done to warrant such hatred? I have never even heard of the Planejumpers until today, so why are you so intent on invading? Isn’t there any way we can avoid senseless bloodshed?”

The words caught in Sky’s throat and his vision swam. The world spun around him. He wasn’t going to be able to stay conscious for much longer.

“Hold on, if you wanted to negotiate, why did you imprison me?”

“You don’t know? I suppose I should be relieved that you have never heard of the Alicorn Masters. We imprisoned you because we feared you might have something to do with them.”

“…Alicorn? I…” He grunted in frustration. Something in the way she spoke told him that she was telling the truth. But the world was fading fast, darkness encroaching from the edges of his vision. _Not yet… I need more… time…_

“Quickly…! How did I… come here?”

“Ah… well… a storm cloud suddenly appeared in the sky and burned an arcane circle in the ground with lightning. The one you repurposed, in fact. But when Twilight Sparkle tried to dispel it, it exploded and you flew out, tunneling the crater behind you.”

A cloud drawing a dimensional anchor. The realization oozed through the encroaching brain fog, sending a chill down his spine to settle in his gut.

“Ah… but… th… that’s…” The ground vanished beneath him and he plunged once more into darkness.


	5. Pursuit

The world flicked on around him, and he felt the warmth and the weight of the covers. Light filtered through his closed eyelids, casting a red glow on his retinas. His feathers brushed against the mattress as he shifted. _I’m in bed. It was all just a nightmare. Please, let it have been a nightmare._ Slowly, fearfully, he opened his eyes.

The ceiling was wooden, entirely different from his quarters. He closed his eyes again. The rage and grief welled up in his chest. It hadn’t been a dream. Everything he remembered – the patrol in Hell, the ambush, escaping into the Astral Plane, waking up in a foreign land – all of it was real.

Of the squad he had been assigned to, he was the only one to survive. Sky remembered their disappointed looks and dismissive attitudes when his name had been called during their squadron assignment. They complained about having to babysit the most incompetent rookie in the history of the Planejumpers. He had wished that there was some way he wouldn’t have to deal with them. Bile rose in his throat. He’d gotten his wish. Their blood now soaked into the battle-scarred plains of Gehenna, mingling with the oceans that had been spilled there for millennia. _I couldn’t even save one of them. I deserve the name they gave me. What’s more…_

The image of a golden-scaled dragon fighting off hordes of demons flashed through his mind. _I left my mentor to fight off an entire horde. He was an elder dragon…_ The burning in his throat was joined by a burning in his eyes. _But, even he couldn’t possibly fight off that many demons alone. I abandoned the only person who ever placed much faith in me to face certain death._ Horrifying images of the possible fates that awaited his mentor flashed through Sky’s mind. Finally, he could no longer hold it back. He rolled onto his side and retched over the edge of the bed.

“Hey!”

Startled, Sky turned to face the source of the outburst. At the foot of the bed sat the purple, winged unicorn from the night before. An open book floated in front of her, enveloped in the same deep pink aura that emanated from her horn. The small purple dragon stood by her, giving him a frustrated glare from behind the stack of books he was carrying. He was probably the one that would have to clean up Sky’s mess. Sky wiped a foreleg across his mouth.

“Uh… right, sorry.”

“If you’re feeling sick, I have some herbal remedies I can offer you.”

“No, it’s fine. I’m alright now…”

Sky pushed himself up into a sitting position and took a look around. He was back in the study that doubled as Twilight’s bedroom, in the bed he had first awoken. Guards in shining golden armor, wielding long spears, stood stationed around the room at regular intervals. Being put under guard was to be expected. However, every guard appeared to be a variant of only one of two different ponies, as if they were clones. Amongst them were pegasi, unicorns, and regular ponies, but all had either a white coat and blue eyes or a grey coat and dark yellow eyes. _Weirder and weirder…_ The sound of Twilight’s voice shook him out of his astonishment.

“Now then, I suppose it’s only fair that I introduce myself. My name is Twilight Sparkle, I am the personal protégé of Princess Celestia, and I will be taking over the interrogation for today.”

Sky’s hackles rose. Could these ponies really be ruthless enough to dispose of a _Princess_ for failing to guard a prisoner?

“W- What happened to Luna?”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Nothing _happened_ to the Princess. She’s asleep. She was guarding you all of last night.”

“Oh… right,” Sky conceded, paranoia deflating.

“Now then,” Twilight continued, “would you please tell me your name? I’d rather not have to call you ‘prisoner’.”

Sky immediately prepared a retort, but he dropped his defensiveness when he remembered who was at fault here. Defeated, Sky let go of a remorseful sigh. _I dug myself a deep hole, so I may as well bury myself in it._

“My name is Sky. I’m a rookie member of the Planejumpers.”

His willingness to talk took Twilight by surprise.

“Oh? Well, perhaps you could tell me a bit more about these Planejumpers?”

Sky hesitated. These ponies may be advanced in the use of magic, but that didn’t mean he could divulge everything he knew. They had been taught in basic training never to reveal the existence of Outer Planes. Immature races might get ideas of conquest and create even more problems for the Planejumpers. He had to tread carefully.

“I can, but first I want to ask _you_ something.”

“What do you want to know?”

“You’re a student, right? Have you learned anything about the ‘multiple worlds’ theory?”

“You mean the theory that there are an infinite number of universes besides our own, right?” Sky nodded. Twilight perked up, giving him a smug smile. “Well, I can do you one better. I’ve actually been to another universe.”

“What!?” Sky cried.

“Yup. It was strange. I went there through a mirror, which had this eerie glowing vortex inside of it. The world I visited was entirely inhabited by these strange, mostly-hairless ape creatures. They were actually about as civilized as us, even though they didn’t have magic. But they spoke the same language, wore clothing, had learning institutions, and at least some semblance of a government. I learned a lot while I was over there. For instance, they had these weird glowing plastic rectangles the called ‘computers’, and…”

Sky stopped paying attention when the gravity of what she was saying hit him. She had actually been to a human-inhabited Plane. The more he learned about the situation, the less equipped to deal with it he felt. The fact that a race of sentient ponies had discovered or developed interplanar travel before the Planejumpers even heard of them was especially troubling. Sky interrupted Twilight mid-sentence.

“Twilight, how many ponies have been to this other world?”

“Oh, only me and one other. She caused quite a stir.”

“Of course she did. Unknown creatures showing up in a new Plane always do.”

“But we weren’t ponies in that realm. We were actually transformed into the same form as the inhabitants when we travelled there.”

Sky sighed. That was one disaster averted, at least. But then his stomach turned. By travelling to another Plane, she and this other pony had unwittingly thrust their race into the affairs of the interplanar community. Since there were no other senior Planejumpers available, it was his responsibility to induct them into the Council. However, they had only barely covered the procedures in basic training. He was terrified of the consequences, should he continue to live up to the nickname his previous misadventures had earned him. Unfortunately, he had no choice in the matter. Sky took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to slow his pounding heart and calm the turmoil in his gut. _I guess I had better start at the beginning._ He straightened, trying his best to appear professional, and cleared his throat.

“Well, in light of this… revelation, it becomes my duty to… inform you, as newcomers to the field of Planar travel, of the Council of Planar Representatives and the roles we Planejumpers perform among them.”

Twilight’s eyes widened and a ridiculous grin spread across her face.

“Hold on, wait a sec… I know I have a quill around here… somewhere…”

Twilight dashed around the room, searching frantically for stationary. Spike put his face in his claw.

“Maybe on your desk, where they usually are?” Spike suggested derisively. Twilight paused in her search to glance over at the writing desk. Sure enough, several quills sat neatly organized on the worktop. Twilight grinned sheepishly.

“Oh… right.”

She sat back down next to the bed and levitated over a piece of paper and a quill and inkwell. Had Sky known Twilight better, he would have been surprised to see her taking her own notes for a change. Instead, he got a feel for the unusual situation from Spike, who was staring, mouth agape. Twilight spoke up, trying to reclaim his attention.

“Now then, please continue, Sky.”

“Um, sure… Well… I suppose I should first explain to you what the Council is. The Council of Planar Representatives was founded over two hundred thousand Planar cycles ago by the first three races to achieve Planar travel. Originally, the Council was created to negotiate peace between the three races. Since then, it has taken on many more responsibilities and aspects. More than five thousand races have joined its ranks since its inception, and brought with them many varied cultures, traditions, technologies, and resources. There have been disputes, of course, but that's where the Planejumpers come in. We were created, in the beginning, as a peacekeeping intermediary between the members of the Council. Now, we have become a task force trained to root out and put a stop to those who would abuse their power, whether it’s military or political, scientific or arcane. We are, in short, multiplanar police. All the races of the Council have defined our jurisdiction as the Planes of all entities with inter- and extraplanar travel capabilities, and any Plane that comes into contact with any such entity, whether it be purposeful or accidental."

"Wait a minute," Twilight interrupted, "but that means you can just impose your jurisdiction on any Plane you visit."

"Hold on, there's a law regarding that. Planejumpers aren't allowed to make first contact with a race that hasn't discovered Planar travel. The punishment for doing so is, essentially, death."

Twilight gasped.

"Oh, how horrible."

"It's a little more complicated than that, but it isn't as gruesome a punishment as it may seem."

"If you say so," Twilight said, unsure.

"The only reason I've told you this much is because you've already traveled to another Plane."

Something dawned on Twilight.

"But how are you so sure?"

"Well, some of the things you've said are only things that are known to Planar travelers."

"But you haven't any concrete proof that what I've said is true."

The idea worked its way through his mind. The more he thought about it, the more he understood her point, and the greater the horror he felt. But then, Sky calmed as he considered the evidence and began to draw the implications.

“Well, there are a couple of factors that point to your innocence. First, if you had been lying in order to pry info out of me, you just revealed yourself a little prematurely. I can’t think how you would be able to exploit the little information I’ve given you. Secondly, I have to consider the remains of the arcane circle out in the field. Of what I could make out – and I’ll admit, I may have been a bit too paranoid to pay enough attention, but – the circle was made with several different runic languages, a few of which I recognized. But I didn’t see any of the runes you used in your containment circle.”

“That makes sense, seeing as we weren’t the ones who made that circle. But what do you mean, ‘several languages?’” Twilight inquired. Sky tilted his head in confusion.

“You can’t tell me you don’t have at least one other language.”

“Of course we do. There are several different languages still used in the world. Equestrian is just the most common.”

“So, have you ever tried using runes from different languages in your arcane circles?”

“Well, no. I never considered trying. It should be impossible.”

“Exactly. Somehow, someone was able to create a working spell in an arcane circle using multiple languages. This leads me to believe that there is a much deeper and more sinister plot in the works here. From the few patterns and runes I remember seeing, I’ve pieced together a few different possibilities for the original design of the circle. But, taking into account the sequence of events that brought me here, I can only imagine one scenario. The circle was intended to be a summoning spell.”

“A summoning? For who? Or… what?”

“I’m not sure, but, with your permission, I’d like to help you find out what. I’m only a rookie, so I’m not going to try to force Planejumper jurisdiction here. I’m not sure I’d be able to do much on my own anyway. But I am sure that, whatever is going on, it can’t be good.”

Twilight seemed to ponder something, and then a look of annoyance crossed her face.

“I have an idea who could be behind it. But before I go any further, I’d like to hear your version of the events that brought you here.”

Sky grimaced. The faces of the squad that he had left to rot on the plains of Gehenna flashed through his mind. _This whole thing is my fault. If I had only been a little quicker, a little more aware…_

“I- It’s… complicated.” He was unsure of how to proceed. How much should he tell? How much could he tell? He took a deep breath. “I was… running… from a deadly enemy. He had caught up to me and I was battling for my life, when we apparently stumbled into a weak area between the Plane we were in and this one. There was a magical explosion. I blacked out and…”

Horror froze him midsentence. It occurred to him that he may have brought about a disaster greater than anything he’d ever unleashed. _If I made it here, could he have…?_

“Twilight!”

Twilight shouted in surprise. “Y- Yes?”

“Quickly, did anything else make it through the portal?”

It took her a second to realize what he was implying, but he recognized her fear through her shrunken pupils.

“Oh no.”

“Where?”

“In the Everfree Forest, southeast of here,” she replied, turning towards the door. “Hold on, I’m going to go wake up Lun-”

The sound of clattering armor, confused shouts, and a loud bang interrupted her. She turned around to see guards sprawled on the floor leading up to the balcony door, which now hung on its only remaining hinge.

“What happened?”

“The alicorn, ma’am. He- he made it past all of the guards stationed in front of the door.”

“How-? Never mind. We don’t have time for that right now. We need to follow him. You three,” she pointed to the three nearest the door out of the study, “go tell the Princess and escort her. I hate to wake her up, but I’m going to need her help.”

She pointed to several more guards.

“I want you all to find my friends. I’ll need their help if I’m going to bring him back unharmed.”

Finally, she ran over to the guards by the balcony.

“Those of you still able, come with me. We’re going after him.”

“Twilight, wait!” Spike called after her as she leapt off of the railing, but she kept on flying. It sounded like this was going to be dangerous and she didn’t want to put him in harm’s way. _Sorry, Spike, but it’s better this way._

Sky wasn’t too difficult to follow. He had a head start on her, but he wasn’t even trying to camouflage himself. With his coat color, it would have been easy to hide in a cloud. Instead, he was making a beeline for the southeastern section of the Forest. _He’s not trying to run away, so there’s only one reason for him to take off like he did. And if he really thinks I’m going to let him run off by himself, he’s got another thing coming._

Sky suddenly plunged into the forest ahead of her. _Did he find the crash site, or is he actually trying to lose us in the Forest? There’s only one way to find out._

As she cleared the perimeter of the clearing, Twilight spotted Sky pacing around the lip of the crater and she quickly landed near the stallion. The guards followed suit and formed ranks around her. Twilight stalked forward, preparing a tirade, but the guards shifted in front of her, blocking her from getting close to the potential threat. She groaned. While she appreciated that her mentor cared about her well-being, sometimes Celestia could be a bit overbearing. Twilight had to content herself to shouting at him.

“Sky! What is the meaning of this!? How dare you run off like that!?”

Sky glanced at her, then immediately returned to searching.

“Go back home, Twilight,” Sky muttered angrily, “the one I’m tracking is far too dangerous to allow civilian help.”

“Watch your tone, outsider!” One of the guards was yelling at him now. “Do not address Princess Twilight in such a disrespectful manner.”

Twilight winced. “Please, I don’-”

“Princess!?” Sky shouted in astonishment. He wondered if there was a connection between the title of Princess and the winged unicorn trait. But he was getting sidetracked. Such an important title meant important responsibilities, and important responsibilities meant that many more people that would miss her if she died.

“Even more reason you shouldn’t be here.”

“No. I’ve been through this song and dance before,” Twilight refuted, drawing herself up. “Just because I’m technically a Princess, it doesn’t make me better than anypony else. You’re my responsibility, and I’m going to make sure you don’t do anything reckless. Besides, wasn’t it you who said you weren’t sure you would be able to accomplish much on your own?”

Sky sighed explosively. “Listen, Princess-”

“Don’t-” Twilight interrupted, holding up a hoof to silence him.

“Don’t call me ‘Princess.’ Twilight is fine.”

Sky eyed the guards. They didn’t seem to raise any objections, so Sky continued.

“Fine. Twilight, I can guarantee that this guy is one of the most dangerous beings in all the multiverse. His kind is responsible for over half of the violent crimes committed in any Plane.”

“Well, then we should stop jabbering and get to searching.”

Sky had to resist the urge to slap himself in the face with his hoof. _How can I get her to understand?_

“Twilight, have you ever actually fought someone? I mean physically.”

“Well, I did fight against the Changeling army.”

“Really?”

He stared, trying to catch her lie, but her gaze never wavered. Sky reconsidered his position. _If she’s had combat experience, then maybe…_

Sky shook himself of the thought. _No. I brought this threat to this world, so it’s my responsibility to confront it._

“How did you defeat them, then?”

“Well, my friends and I fought the Changelings, and then my brother and Princess Cadance banished them with a protection spell.” She decided to strategically leave out the part where they had been overwhelmed by the sheer numbers. They were only going after one enemy, after all.

Meanwhile, Sky was chewing the inside of his cheek. It was becoming increasingly obvious that Twilight wasn’t going to back down. He wasn’t in good enough standing to try something drastic, and, even if he was, there was no guarantee Twilight wouldn’t trail him anyway. He groaned. _What am I going to do?_

Let her help you?

Normally, he would have refused to even acknowledge this small voice in the back of his head, but it had a point. On his own, he hadn’t much of a chance of bringing down the devil without any kind of weapon or magic. But honestly, it wasn’t right.

“I’m sorry, Twilight, but I can’t let you do this. I brought this criminal to Equestria, so it’s my responsibility to capture him. I can’t let you put yourself in harm’s way for my sake.”

“And I’m sorry, but I seem to recall playing a part in your arrival. This isn’t just your problem, but mine as well.” Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out from the edge of the clearing.

“And if it’s your problem, it’s ours, too.”

Rainbow Dash stood just in front of the tree line, breathing heavily. She was joined shortly by the rest of the ponies Sky had first seen in the library. He slapped himself in the face with a hoof without thinking. But instead of getting clubbed by something solid, it simply felt as if he had slapped himself with a hand. _I really need to learn about pony anatomy._ He shook himself of the irrelevant thought.

“No.”

“Excuuuuse me?” The Southern pony drawled. “I don’t think you’re in any position to refuse us there, bucko.”

“Yeah,” the pink one chirped, “we’re sticking to her like glue.” She ran up beside Twilight and threw a foreleg around her, hugging her tightly to illustrate her conviction.

“You don’t understand,” Sky groaned, “this is a life or death situation. If I bring all of you, we would just be that much easier to spot.”

“Be that as it may, we aren’t going to let you bring Twilight along on such a dangerous mission without us,” retorted the unicorn with the styled purple mane.

“All of us,” added the rainbow-maned pegasus, swooping in to hover protectively over Twilight.

“I agree.”

Sky looked up to find Princess Luna descending on the group. The three guards Twilight had sent to wake her trailed breathlessly behind her. She landed softly between the two sides, turning her attention to Sky.

“They may not look like soldiers, but these six have faced threats to the safety of Equestria on multiple occasions.” Luna looked from Sky to Twilight.

“As much as my sister and I hate asking you to risk your safety, we must ask you to do so once more.”

Twilight stood proudly at attention. “You can count on us, Princess.”

Sky beat his hoof against his head in frustration. There was nothing he could do. These ponies had him backed into a corner.

“Alright, fine,” he growled, “but only on one condition! You must do _exactly_ what I say, when I say it. I will _not_ have your deaths on my conscience.”

“I can agree to that,” Twilight replied. “I can assure you we will proceed with the utmost caution.”

Sky sighed in defeat. _This is a nightmare._ “Alright, if I’m going to be giving you orders, I will need to know your names.”

“Oh, oh! That’s right! You’re new here,” the pink one exclaimed, dancing in place. “We should have a _welcoming party_! That way I can introduce you to everyone in Ponyville!”

“Maybe later,” Twilight said, putting a hoof on the excitable pony’s shoulder. “For now, let’s just introduce ourselves.”

“Alright…” Pinkie visibly deflated. She instantly perked back up as she grabbed his right hoof with both of hers and shook it vigorously, standing on her hind legs in a feat of physics-defying exuberance.

“My name’s Pinkie Pie. I hope we can be friends.”

Pinkie’s hoofshake was interrupted when the Southern pony moved her aside, relieving him of her boisterous greeting.

“I’m Applejack. I run Sweet Apple Acres just west of here.”

“And I’m Rainbow Dash,” the rainbow-maned pegasus bragged, confirming his previous suspicions. “I’m pretty much the best flyer in all of Equestria.”

The fashionably styled unicorn delicately cleared her throat. “I am Rarity. I am the sole proprietor and designer for the Carousel Boutique in Ponyville.”

Sky nodded and looked to the last pony. The pegasus with the long pink mane was staring intently at the ground and scuffing it with her hoof.

“And… what’s your name?” Sky ventured.

She squeaked and recoiled.

“Um… My… I…” He couldn’t even hear the rest of her mumbling. Exasperated, he looked to Twilight for assistance. She smiled half-heartedly and moved to comfort the cowering pegasus.

“This is Fluttershy. She’s… not very good with new ponies.”

“Alright,” Sky continued, “and for those of you who don’t already know, my name is Sky. Now, if you’re going to follow me, you have to move quickly and quietly. I don’t know what form the one we are following took in this realm, so we must be ready for anything. If any of you don’t think you’re up to the task, I urge you to return to Ponyville.”

For one hopeful moment, it seemed as though at least Fluttershy was considering turning back. But then, Applejack and Rainbow Dash went to her side to comfort her.

“It’ll be okay, Fluttershy,” Applejack encouraged, “we’ll all be there with you.”

“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash added, bolstering Applejack’s assurance. “Besides, who else is gonna tame the many wild beasts we might encounter.”

Fluttershy looked from one to the other and let out a tiny sigh. “Alright, I’ll come too.”

“Thank you, Fluttershy,” Twilight said, nodding appreciatively. “You may be the only one that can convince this pony to leave peaceably.”

“I sincerely doubt that.”

The ponies around Fluttershy gave Sky a frosty glare.

“N- Not that I doubt her abilities,” he added quickly, “it’s just that, pe… ponies… like this one won’t be swayed by pleas for sympathy.” He was going to have to get used to saying pony instead of person, since it seemed like it wasn’t a part of pony vocabulary.

“You keep referring to this pony as if they’re something… less. What exactly are we going up against?”

Sky avoided her gaze. It wasn’t an accusation, like so many other looks that had been thrown his way. She had no idea what she was getting into. With him, or with the devil.

“Most commonly, they are called devils, creatures bred of hatred, pain, and fear. To say they are no longer pony is… not quite correct; they are simply the embodiments of the worst qualities in all intelligent beings.”

Twilight stepped forward to interrupt him. “Hold on. You can’t seriously ask us to believe we’re going after a _devil_. They’re just a myth; tales concocted by ancient religious extremists to explain misfortune and to control the masses through fear.”

Sky shook his head. “You’re only half right. It’s true, the threats of Hell and devils have been used as fear tactics by many religious organizations to coerce and control their audiences. However, that is where the relationship ends. Devils couldn't care less what your religious affiliation is. Hell has existed long before any religious organization, and will continue to exist independent of them long after they are disbanded.

“At first it was believed that devils were a race born into a harsh and unforgiving existence. Since then, it has been realized that devils aren’t so much a single race as they are an organization of the cruelest creatures the multiverse has spat out. They build their ranks by recruiting the most criminal of souls, and kidnapping and enslaving innocent ones. The lucky ones are eaten. The rest are forced to do unspeakable things in service of their new masters. Those that don’t comply are tortured in ways that would make even the most war-numbed veteran vomit. All who are captured by them either succumb to indoctrination, or descend into complete madness. This is who we are trailing. I ask again; won’t any of you please reconsider following me?”

It certainly seemed like he had been able to get under their skin. None of them looked quite as sure of themselves as they had been moments ago. Seconds passed by with an agonizing indifference to his plight. Finally, Twilight gulped and stepped forward, and Sky held his breath.

“Sky, I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but it’s not going to work. It does seem like this pony may be the most dangerous criminal Equestria has ever faced. However, as one of the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony, it is my duty to protect this land from all that would threaten it, even if we no longer have the Elements themselves.”

“That’s right,” Applejack supported her, “long’s we have each other, there’s nothin’ we can’t accomplish.”

Sky hung his head. “Fine, if I can’t dissuade you, at least promise me this: if you encounter something unusual and I’m not around, do not confront it, even if all six of you are together. Come and find me. I don’t want to be responsible for more deaths.”

Rarity cut in. “Wait a moment, what do you mean _more_ deaths?”

Sky couldn't look them in the eyes. “This devil has already killed my entire squad. The only reason I escaped is because my mentor arrived to hold off his attack. I think you can all figure out what happened to him from the present circumstances.”

“Oh, Sky, I’m so sorry,” Twilight said. Sky thought he saw her tearing up, but he put it down to a trick of the light. She barely knew him.

“Don’t be. If I had been more competent, none of this would have happened. I’ll face the consequences later. For now, I have to make sure no one else dies. So you must promise me you will not engage this devil without my help.” For a moment, no one responded.

“Promise me!”

“Alright, alright,” Twilight reassured him quickly, “we promise.”

“We _Pinkie_ promise, even,” Pinkie added, and then looked to the others. They all nodded back solemnly and spoke in unison.

“Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.”

Sky raised an eyebrow involuntarily. Luna smiled sadly at his confusion.

“Trust me when I say they take the ‘Pinkie Promise’ very seriously.”

Sky sighed. “Fine. Follow me. We need to track him down as quickly as possible.”

“Wait!” Twilight shouted as he began to turn around. He ground his teeth in frustration.

“What now?”

“Actually, I was thinking we should talk to Zecora. She may have seen something, since she lives in these woods.”

Sky’s heart dropped into his stomach for the second time that day.

“Do you know how to get there from here?” Sky asked urgently.

“Yes,” Twilight replied, growing worried. “Why? Do you think something could have happened?”

“I don’t want to take that chance. If it turns out nothing is wrong, we’ll come back here.”

“I will take the guards and monitor the edge of the forest,” Luna volunteered.

“Alright. Can you make a magic flare?”

“Of course. I will alert you should anything suspicious appear.”

“C’mon, follow us.” Rainbow Dash flew off into the forest, tailed by her friends. Sky barely had time to react. He galloped after them, trying his hardest to catch up to the swift-flying pegasus. If they were charging head first into a trap, he’d rather it was him that caught the brunt of it. No matter how much danger these ponies had faced, he could guarantee they hadn’t had the kind of training he’d undergone with the Planejumpers.

Luna gazed after the Bearers, watching their tails recede beyond the tree line. She bit her bottom lip, hoping she had made the right call. Behind her, the captain of the guards addressed his men.

“Alright, troops, you heard the Princess. Spread out along the edge of the forest. Any sighting of something suspicious, raise the alarm. Whatever you do, do not engage the enemy alone. Now move out!”

The guards saluted and galloped back the way they came. The pegasi flew above the trees to keep an eye on the situation. Luna took one last look in the direction the girls were heading, then joined the guards. _They can handle themselves. They’ve proven themselves multiple times._ But that didn’t stop her from worrying.


	6. Confrontation

Foliage whipped past him with savage speed. Exhaustion tugged at his mind, but he pushed it down. Sky had undergone grueling training for longer periods without as much rest as he’d had in the past couple of days. The pounding of his hooves registered as only faintly alien. He’d gotten used to running on all fours. For some reason it even felt faintly familiar.

Sky followed closely behind the pegasus named Fluttershy. At some point in their pursuit, the girls had all fallen behind her. It seemed they wanted Fluttershy to take the lead, and Sky could see why. Several times, Fluttershy turned away from paths that Sky wouldn’t have given a second thought. However, as soon as they had passed these turns, he found that the paths fell into ditches, ran into cliff faces, or simply vanished altogether. Sky quickly came to trust her judgment. She had obviously spent a lot of time in the Everfree Forest, and her friends seemed to trust her guidance.

“Fluttershy,” Sky called out, “how much further until we get to Zecora’s?”

The pegasus squeaked and flew faster. Sky groaned. Twilight sped up to gallop alongside him.

“Sorry, she’s… really uncomfortable with new ponies. But we’re not far now. I’ve been this way before.”

“The sooner we get there the better.”

Twilight was silent for a moment, and then spoke timidly.

“Sky, Zecora’s not in too much danger, right? I mean, you said a lot of horrible things about this pony, but you were only trying to get us to reconsider. He doesn’t even know her.”

It was Sky’s turn to be silent. For a civilization with a standing army, these ponies were incredibly innocent. He couldn’t imagine the soldiers ever having fought in a battle, much less killed anything. There had been far too much emotion in their eyes. Even the concept of torture seemed to be entirely alien to their society. Sky took a deep breath.

“I hope you’re right. I pray she had the good fortune not to have crossed paths with him.”

“Oh, I hope she’s not scared, or hurt,” Fluttershy mumbled, speaking in his presence for the first time. Sky’s heart ached. He knew what they were likely to find and he didn’t want to expose civilians to such horrors. They claimed to have fought in battle before, but Sky wasn’t convinced. _I have to figure out a way to keep them out of this._ But before he had time to construct an argument, the forest in front of them suddenly began taking on a soft yellow glow.

“That’s her house, up ahead!”

The trees began to thin out as they approached the source of the light. A thoroughly eccentric dwelling came into view. Trees made into houses were nothing new; he’d seen dozens of different styles of housing built in the canopies or grown out of the trees themselves. The sight in front of him was a different matter entirely. The tree before him was wild and twisted, with roots and branches growing out in every direction. Light filtered out from holes in the dense tangles of root. Even the door was crafted to accommodate the natural shape the roots grew into. This ‘Zecora’ had obviously adapted this tree into a house, rather than growing her own tree-home. But that wasn’t half of the peculiarity. Hanging from almost every branch were bottles and charms, tied up with thin vines. Tribal masks lay against the roots and adorned the tree. Ferns, mushrooms and flowers of all kinds grew rampant about the clearing. The entire area was lit by candles that burned in the windows. While the whole place exuded a ‘voodoo priestess’ vibe that was almost comical in its intensity, Sky also noticed a distinct lack of the usual morbid fare that voodoo practitioners seemed to pride themselves on.

The only thing that unsettled him was how deathly quiet the forest had become. On the way to the hut, the forest had been teeming with the sounds of life. But as they had come closer, all sound faded into the distance. The animals were avoiding this place. Sky groaned. If only he weren’t restrained by the inhibitor, he could use his magic to search for heat signatures. Sky closed his wings, realizing that he had subconsciously flared them out in frustration.

“Alright,” Sky began, “we don’t know what the situation is like in there. I need you all to stay out here while I-”

Sky’s hair stood on end as a blood-curdling scream rent the forest air. The primal part of his mind burned with fear. He’d heard those sounds before. The screams of the damned could never be completely erased from his memories, no matter how often he tried. The girls all gasped and shouted in unison.

“Zecora!”

“Wait, no!”

Sky barely had time to jump aside before all six of them charged past. He cursed under his breath and followed close on their tails, regret and panic flooding his mind. Just ahead of him, Rainbow Dash was hurtling through the air, forelegs outstretched. She blasted through the door and suddenly froze in midair, immediately plummeting into a pile of kindling. The terrified noises the others made as they crossed the threshold confirmed his deepest fears. As Sky muscled his way through the crowded doorway, the coppery tang of blood hit his nose before he even laid eyes on the source of the girls’ paralysis.

Inside the hut, he saw fare standard for an archaic apothecary. A large cast iron cauldron sitting in a fire pit dominated the center of the one-room hut. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a simple bed under a small window set into an alcove. On the woven straw and root walls hung dozens of shelves, each filled neatly with varying bottles and jars. Several more bottles hung from the ceiling, as well as a dozen different gourds and other fruit-bearing plants. All of the empty spots on the walls were taken up by more masks and tribal paraphernalia, except for one.

The opposite wall, however, displayed a grisly scene. The masks, shelves, and their contents had been torn down. In their place hung a zebra, limbs splayed and shackled by roots torn from the wall. Livid bruises shone through her coat, and swelled one of her eyes shut. Blood flowed freely from numerous gashes and cuts all over her body. Before her stood an ashen unicorn with a long, disheveled black mane, grinning smugly up at his handiwork. His horn glowed with the same sea foam-green aura that was pressing a bloodied knife against the helpless mare’s flesh. He turned lazily to greet them. His eyes widened momentarily when he saw Sky, and then resolved into a smile.

“Sky, so good to see you. I had hoped you survived the fall. I wanted to apologize for the whole ordeal in the Astral Plane. I became a bit… emotional when I thought we had been trapped there. Originally, I had hoped to meet on more friendly terms.”

Sky grimaced at the devil’s honeyed tones.

“What’s your name?”

“Oh that’s right, we’ve not been properly introduced, have we? I am Augustus Frost, but you may call me Frost. A pleasure to make your acquaintance.” He extended one hoof forward and dipped down, in an equine approximation of a bow.

“Alright, Frost. By order of the Council, release your hostage and surrender peacefully.”

The Devil looked up.

“Hostage?” He asked, seeming to be genuinely puzzled. He looked around as if he didn’t understand what Sky was talking about. Finally, he acknowledged Zecora.

“Oh, you mean this fine young mare? We were just having a pleasant conversation about this Plane's structure. I just needed to provide a bit of an incentive. You see, I’ve learned quite a lot about this Plane in the short time I’ve been here.” He glanced up at the inhibitor on Sky’s horn with a smirk. “I suppose you’ve been unable to sense much of the arcane current in this world?”

Sky remained silent and the devil chuckled.

“I’ll take that as a ‘yes.’ Well, that’s quite a shame.” Frost began to pace in front of Zecora. “Since coming here I’ve noticed that my connection to Mana is much stronger than it was in either Hell or Gehenna. So much so, in fact, that I’m starting to believe that there may even be a conduit somewhere in this Plane.”

The implications began to wash over Sky, making his skin crawl as they oozed their way down the nape of his neck.

“Frost, the Council has ruled that access to the Elemental Plane of Energy is strictly forbidden.”

“But WHY?” Frost challenged with a murderous gleam in his eyes. “I’ll tell you why. Because no one on the Council has the balls to take the reins and finish the job. My final goal is really quite simple.” Frost strode over to a window, obviously pausing for dramatic effect.

“I aim to destroy Hell.”

Sky blinked. Frost's words were lodged somewhere between Sky’s eardrum and brain. Had he heard Frost right? The devil chuckled.

“I can understand your confusion. It’s hardly a fitting mission for one of my... position. But then, I suppose I am no ordinary devil, if any being can be classified as such.” Frost twirled the knife lazily through the air, gazing longingly at its edge.

“I have a purpose. A true purpose. Not just an empty greed, a lust for power, or blind wrath, like so many who came before me… No. I stayed pure. I kept a piece of myself from that… FILTH!” He screamed and spat and snarled. “They broke me, oh yes, but they couldn’t keep all the pieces. I took some back. I remembered. And from that I gained purpose!”

Frost breathed heavily, a manic grin plastered on his face. In an instant, his countenance calmed and he cleared his throat, as if this would erase his previous impression. Sky was too tightly focused on Frost to notice the girls exchange worried glances behind him.

“Honestly, it would be all too easy for me to be doing this out of a simple desire for petty revenge. After all, no one came to help _me_ when I was dragged off to Hell. However, benevolent being that I am, I decided to try and do something to the benefit of the multiverse. I just need the power to do so, and Mana – the Elemental Plane of Energy, the playground of gods – will give me all the power I need and more.”

“And what comes after you’ve destroyed Hell?” Sky asked scornfully. “I suppose you’ll just give up the power of the entire multiverse willingly?”

Frost paused. “You know, it’s funny; I hadn’t actually planned that far ahead. In fact, I had figured that I would likely become something of a martyr as a result of my plan. But you’re right. With the power of the multiverse at my disposal, I could be a god. Not just a greater power, but a true, omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent god. I could end famine, disease, poverty, war, and literally every form of suffering and cruelty that sentient beings can devise. I could even do away with Death itself.”

“Frost, this is madness,” Sky bristled. “You can’t just get rid of Death. Do you understand what will happen if no one can die?”

“Better than most, I assure you. Sure, we may have to get used to not eating anything considered to be alive, but that will be a small price to pay for eternal life.”

“Frost, even if you remove death from the picture, that doesn't mean there will be no more war or prejudice.”

“Don’t get me wrong, it will be difficult at first. But with proper… reinforcement,” Frost’s eyes momentarily lit up with the sea green glow of his magic, and Sky felt an intense pressure hammering against his mental barriers, “people can be conditioned to do just about anything.”

“Frost, this is wrong!” Twilight pleaded, “I understand your desire to-”

“Quiet! I don’t speak to neophytes.”

“Hey! We’re not neophytes!” Twilight fumed.

“Yeah! We’re not… uh…” Rainbow Dash hesitated. “Twilight, what’s a neophyte?”

Twilight sighed exasperatedly. “It means novice.”

“I don't get it,” Applejack piped in, “what, exactly, are we novices in?”

Twilight was about to respond when suddenly Frost’s voice boomed throughout the hovel, rattling the bottles on the shelves and the windows in their fittings.

“Silence!”

Silence fell on the group like an avalanche. None of them could move or open their mouths. Frost had laid a paralysis enchantment on them all. It quickly faded, but Twilight had gotten the point. This devil had cast a powerful spell with little to no effort and would not hesitate to cast it again, if not something worse. The others took their cues from her and held their tongues.

“Much better,” he cooed, turning to Sky. “Do you see now? You and I are very much alike. We both understand that the only way to get people to do what’s in their best interest is by force. Honestly, I’m surprised you would stoop so low as to join such a pathetic, inept organization as the Council.”

“If that surprises you, then you know nothing about me.”

“Oh, but you’re wrong,” Frost hissed, scuttling up to him, “I know everything there is to know about you. After all, I’ve been following your exploits since the very beginning. What was your family name again?”

Frost grinned smugly at him. Sky’s face began to burn as he realized that Frost wasn’t bluffing.

“Ah, yes. Hearthfire, wasn’t it? Such a warm and unassuming name for a family of assassins.”

Sky faintly heard several sharp intakes of breath, but he didn’t bother to look around. He could feel the shocked stares drilling into him.

“Oh my, you hadn’t told them? It seems like you haven’t quite dropped your manipulative habits.”

“The Hearthfires may have birthed me, but they were never my family.”

“Perhaps not, but they certainly raised you as one of them,” Frost smirked, “at least, until you killed them.”

The stunned silence that filled the room deafened him. Sky glared at Frost, but didn’t bother to retort.

“What’s the matter, Sky? Not going to try to defend yourself?”

“What is there to defend? I killed the Hearthfires. It was a deplorable deed, but also the only way I could be sure they would never retaliate when I left that life behind.”

“And that’s what I like about you. You’re not afraid to do what’s necessary to pursue justice, especially when it comes to your family.”

The emphasis Frost put on ‘family’ made Sky’s skin crawl.

“What ever happened to that girl that took you in, anyway? You know, the Weaver girl?”

Sky bristled, his gut churning in tandem with his building anger.

“I remember now, she was lynched by the townspeople when they found out who you really were.”

“Shut up,” Sky growled.

“Why? I think you’ve forgotten your mission. Remember those farmers. Remember the looks of fear and disgust on their faces. Remember why you began your crusade in the first place.”

A deathly chill plowed into the pit of his stomach when he heard Twilight’s voice from behind him.

“Sky, what is he talking about?”

But he remained silent. Images of a village in flames and the screams of the damned echoed through his mind.

“What’s the matter, Sky? You’re not ashamed of your past, are you? Or should I tell them for you?”

Sky choked, anger and humiliation burning in the back of his head. He couldn’t tell them. They would never trust him.

“Frost, listen to me,” Sky ventured, “I don’t understand how you know all this, but-”

“How could I not?” Frost cut in manically. “After all, I was there.”

Sky reeled, and Frost pounced on the opportunity.

“Sky, I’m surprised at you! Did you not recognize my face? Do you not recall my voice? I thought you would remember the first death of your revolution.”

For a moment, the only sound in the hut was Zecora’s haggard breath.

“Sky,” Twilight whispered, “ _do_ you recognize him?”

Sky glared at the ground and Frost burst out laughing.

“I believe that constitutes a ‘yes.’ How can he deny me? After all, I’m an integral part of his history. It’s really quite an inspiring tale. Would you like to hear it?”

Without pausing to hear their answer, Frost launched into dramatic soliloquy, the knife at Zecora’s throat holding his audience hostage.

“To Hallowed Dale, in the first year of his revolution, rode Sky, the would-be Child-King. Joined by the legion of opportunistic bandits, sellswords, and cutthroats he had molded into an army, he descended upon the village that had unjustly murdered his first love. It was a slaughter. At the time, I was too terrified to truly appreciate the cold efficiency with which he conducted his revenge. But, whenever I close my eyes, I still remember well the cold and merciless glare in your eyes as you cut me down.

“Honestly, though, I ought to thank you. If not for you, my death would have been peaceful, and I never would have tasted the true horrors that our existence has to offer. You see, rather than being sent to my final rest as I had hoped, I was dragged down into the pits of Hell. And, although I felt betrayed at first, I learned a few things about life from a source whose name, I recall, has gained quite a bit of infamy among your ranks. For instance, he helped me to realize that intelligence is evil.”

“Frost, that’s ins-”

“Ah!” Frost shouted, pressing the knife up under Zecora’s chin hard enough to draw blood. “Allow me to finish.”

No one moved a muscle, and Frost relaxed the pressure.

“Remember, I had many decades to ponder his conclusion. And, if you take a moment to think about it, his views make sense. After all, animals don’t plot or scheme against their fellow creatures, and they certainly don’t crave anything greater than their lot in life. Animals kill for food or in self-defense, while those with ‘higher’ functions might kill simply because another has a different thought process. Animals don’t actively subjugate their peers for personal gain! Animals can’t lie or cheat, and only ‘steal’ from other animals to survive! ANIMALS-”

Frost took a moment to regain composure.

“Animals don’t seek to make others miserable just because they can. Only intelligent beings exhibit the kind of greed or lust or outright insanity that drives them to act outside their best interests. So what, then, are we to assume about beings of so-called ‘higher intelligence?’ It betrays much about our nature that so many of us seek absolution and guidance from higher powers.

“However, I did not – and indeed, I still don’t – believe that such a being, worthy of all of life’s creations, exists in this, or any other, reality. As such, during the first few years of my imprisonment, all my thoughts were focused on revenge, rather than begging for salvation. I was quite fixated on you. I blamed you for all I was going through.

“But then, a revelation came to me during one of my many ‘reconditioning’ sessions. I realized that, even without you, all of this might still have happened. I could not fairly assign responsibility for all suffering in the multiverse to you. Nor could I really blame any one entity; cruelty has been rule of law since the very beginning, and is ingrained deeply into all aspects of intelligent life. No society can advance except on the backs of those it declares ‘lesser’ beings.

“So, in order to truly change the status quo, I needed to change the way intelligent beings think. But I knew that, to do so with any reliability, I needed a way to monitor and enforce the humane behavior of every race in the multiverse. I think you know where I’m going with this.”

Sky did see Frost’s point, and was frightened. Not because of the implications, but because he was beginning to agree with him. “You think becoming a god and forcing people to behave is going to change things?”

“You know it will. Come on, Sky, think about it. How many times have you heard someone extol the virtues of equality and free choice, all while crushing the less fortunate under their heel? I know you understand where I’m coming from. You witnessed the effects firsthand back in our homeland. I was no more innocent of this practice than you; my time in Hell helped me realize that. It helped me to realize that we are more alike than I ever considered; that you were the one most likely to understand my point of view. What I really wanted to say to you is this: join me, Sky. Together, I know we can bring about an age of peace and prosperity to outlast the end of all things.”

Sky could feel his anger draining away, and began to hear his heart pounding in his eardrums. He knew what Frost was doing was wrong, but somehow it made sense. Wouldn’t people be happier if they just stopped fighting? How many people would have been spared his sword if he had been able to force them to see reason? Slowly, Frost lowered the knife, offering Sky his hoof.

A slight movement in the corner of his eye caught Sky’s attention. He glanced up at the bleeding form of Zecora hanging on the wall and his gut churned. This was the kind of man he would be joining. There was nothing to stop him from falling back into his old ways. But was that necessary to change things for the better?

Before he could ponder further, Zecora shifted again. Frost faltered, turning around to see what had caught Sky’s attention.

Suddenly, the hanging zebra lashed out with her left hind leg, apparently having worked it free during Frost’s monologue. The kick connected with the back of Frost’s skull and he crumpled. Zecora shouted to the group, voice cracking under the strain.

“Ponies, you must flee! This one’s too strong for you or me!”

“Know your place, whore!”

The knife was suddenly embedded in Zecora’s chest with a wet smack, spraying a gout of crimson across the floor. The room was immediately filled with horrified screams. Frost staggered upright, snarling. However, he didn’t get much time to regain his senses. Faster than Sky could react, a blue blur shot past him, followed close behind by Applejack. Rainbow Dash slammed into Frost with all four hooves, launching him into the wall. He barely had time to hit the ground before Applejack reeled back and delivered another vicious buck to his head. Frost lurched to the side. Just as Rainbow Dash and Applejack were about to go in for a second assault, Frost’s horn flared, and the air around him ignited into white flame. The girls were thrown back and, as the fire cleared, the sight before him caused Sky’s heart to stop beating.

What little color there was drained from Frost’s horn as it grew blacker than the deepest chasm. The dark aura seemed to absorb the light around it, and the air filled with the sharp tang of ozone. _A ray of entropy!_

“Shield! Now!” Sky shouted to Twilight. Quickly, she threw up a bubble of force in front of her friends. Sky charged over to the prone ponies, gathering up as much energy as he could and directing it into the shield. Not one second later, a black beam erupted from Frost, scything across the room. The few moments it came into contact with the shield, Sky felt as though his life was being sucked out through his forehead. The parts of the room that weren’t shielded did not fare so well. Immediately the area in a few inches around the dark gash lost all color and crumbled into dust. The tree creaked and groaned at the sudden loss of support.

Sky struggled to stay upright after having been drained of nearly all of his vitality, and met Frost’s glare with one of his own.

“Sky, why are you defending these… ponies?” Frost spat out the word as he would a mouthful of dirt. “You know that, if we are to rule them, they must be taught to fear us. We need to make examples of-”

“No!”

Frost was taken aback. “Sky, be reasonable. You and I both want the same thing. If you don’t help me, how can you expect things to ever change?”

“Frost, violence is not the way to go about making change. I wish I had learned this many years ago, before all of this started. Please, just let her go. We’ll go back to my Headquarters and work something out.”

Frost sighed and shook his head.

“You disappoint me, Sky. You’ve been brainwashed so easily. It seems I will have to drill the lessons we learned in our homeland back into that thick skull of yours, if we are to proceed.”

Frost advanced on the group and Sky tensed, now certain that this situation would not end without conflict. Suddenly, the girls all leapt in front of him, shoving him back.

“You’re going to have to get through us, first!” Rainbow Dash shouted.

Frost halted, eyes wide with surprise. But the surprise became a derisive snicker, and then devolved into outright, roaring laughter. Frost fell over, clutching his sides. Sky stared, unsure of what to make of this strange reaction. Eventually, the laughter subsided and Frost rolled back onto his hooves.

“Well,” Frost chuckled, wiping away a tear, “I believe I am outnumbered here. Very well, Sky. I shall leave her in your very capable, er, hooves.”

All mirth suddenly left his face. “But, the next time we see each other, you will not see me coming, and our time together will not be so pleasant.”

Frost then stepped into the shadows, and simply vanished.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the delay, to those of you who actually read this with any interest. I recently acquired and subsequently lost a new job, so life has been a bit turbulent. Hopefully, I will be posting again with some semblance of regularity.
> 
> I also wished to express my apologies for something I am considering doing in the near future. It is my intention to revamp the previous chapters of this story, that they might be more suitable to me. After a recent read-through, I've noticed several areas of character interaction that I wish to improve upon, or remove in some cases. For those of you that do not wish to reread, the plot points will remain the same, but some of the dialogue and descriptive text may vary. I apologize for the inconvenience, and I promise to proof-read more thoroughly in the future.
> 
> -Al


End file.
